Coca-Cola Was Originally Green

Contrary to a popular myth, the famous soda was never green; its signature caramel color has been a key ingredient since its inception (Review). The confusion likely stems from the iconic green glass bottles used for decades. The beverage's true origins are found not in its color, but in its initial purpose. Created by pharmacist John S. Pemberton in 1886, it was first marketed as a patent medicine, a "nerve tonic" promising to cure a variety of ailments from headaches to indigestion.

The name itself hints at its original potent ingredients: "Coca" for the coca leaf extract and "Cola" for the caffeine-rich kola nut. The initial formula did contain a small amount of cocaine, which was legal and a common component in medicinal tonics of the late 19th century. As public concern and regulations grew, the company began phasing out the psychoactive element around 1903, with the cocaine alkaloid being completely eliminated from the recipe by 1929.

Remarkably, the connection to the coca plant continues today. The Coca-Cola Company still imports coca leaves from countries like Peru, but only after they have undergone a special process. A US-based chemical company, the only one legally permitted to do so, extracts the cocaine alkaloid for pharmaceutical use. The remaining "decocainized" leaf extract is then sold to Coca-Cola to be used as part of its secret flavoring formula.