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How Pepsi first got its name
Pepsi is a name that millions of food and drink lovers around the world will be familiar with but the origins of that name are far less well known.
Regardless of whether you prefer one cola brand over another, it cant be denied that an ice-cold glass of Pepsi on a hot Summers day will always go down a treat. But when the beverage was first created, you would have had to order it under a different name altogether.
Pepsis original name
Pepsi was first created in 1893 by small-town pharmacist Caleb D Bradham who sold the drink from his drugstore in New Bern, North Carolina.
Originally, the pharmacist named his concoction after himself, calling it Brads Drink.
The origins of Pepsi are similar to many types of soda, including rival Coca-Cola which was invented by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia.
However, as Brads Drink continued to grow in popularity, its creator believed that a new name was needed to make it more marketable.
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How Pepsi earned its current name
As Pepsi reveals on its website, Brads Drink was renamed to Pepsi-Cola in 1898 after the pharmacist bought the name Pep Kola from a local competitor.
But that description doesnt quite explain the whole story.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the name Pepsi is derived from the term dyspepsia which is another name for the condition indigestion, which the beverage was supposedly invented to help soothe.
Speaking to Food & Wine, Pepsis senior director Jenny Danzi added: He [Bradham] believed the drink was more than a refreshment, aiding in digestion, getting its roots from the word dyspepsia, meaning indigestion.
Meanwhile, the kola in the name Pep Kola comes from the kola nut – similar to a cocoa-nut – which is used in making cola.
Whether Pepsi actually does help to assuage indigestion is still being debated by scientists, however.
According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that carbonated drinks can be soothing for some people with symptoms of indigestion. But the same study also found that carbonated drinks could make symptoms worse for others.
