You Can Still Find The Oldest Brand Of Soda At The Grocery Store

Starting out as a mixture of lemon juice and water that was sweetened with honey, soft drinks have significantly evolved to become what we're familiar with today — now featuring a range of flavors and various levels of carbonation. While major brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi taste different and reign supreme in regard to sales, neither is the oldest soda brand still on the market. That crown actually goes to Schweppes.

Made since 1783, Schweppes carbonated beverages are sold in stores across the globe, including in North America, Europe, Australia, and countries in between. Most well-known as one of the best-ranked ginger ale brands, it produces regular and sugar-free varieties, including a dark ginger ale that has a bolder flavor than the original. It also has an array of fruity flavors, such as raspberry, cranberry raspberry, grape, white peach, and black cherry. In addition to ginger ale, Schweppes makes a variety of sparkling water beverages. It even has a line of club soda, as well as zero sugar and regular sugar tonic water to perfectly pair with gin and other spirits.

Because it has been around since the late 18th century, the history of Schweppes is long but with intriguing highlights. It originated in Switzerland after founder Jacob Schweppe became intrigued by the art and fizzy origins of soda, which had only recently started to develop. After reading papers about it, he refined and developed his own process for producing carbonated mineral water. It didn't take long for him to expand his soft drink business to England where people drank the sparkling water for upset stomachs and other illnesses.

Well before Coca-Cola and Pepsi were invented, Schweppes was released in 1809 in the first bottle that held carbonation — the Hamilton bottle, which customers called lightning in a bottle. Then, the first flavored Schweppes was released in 1835, and it's still a favorite in some countries where it's sold simply as Schweppes Lemonade. The following year, King William IV issued a Royal Warrant of Appointment, making the brand the main supplier of carbonated drinks to the U.K.'s Royal Family and an increasingly popular choice with the public.

After expanding to Australia in 1850, Schweppes was made the official drink for the Great Exhibition at London's Crystal Palace, and the crystal fountain has been the brand's logo ever since. However, it wasn't until 1870 that Schweppes launched its iconic and much-loved Dry Ginger Ale, and it has been releasing classic and fresh flavors ever since.