Editing Coca-Cola (section)

{{Short description|Cola soft drink}}
{{About|the beverage|its manufacturer|The Coca-Cola Company}}
{{Redirect|Coca-Cola Classic|the college football game|Coca-Cola Classic (college football)|the golf tournament|Coca-Cola Classic (golf)}}
{{Distinguish|Coca Colla}}
{{Pp-move}}
{{Protection padlock|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox drink
| name = Coca-Cola
| logo = Coca-Cola logo.svg
| logo_alt = Coca-Cola logo - see "Logo design" section
| logo_caption = Logo used since 1946
| image = Coca Cola Flasche - Original Taste.jpg
| image_alt = Coca-Cola bottle - see "Contour bottle design" section
| caption = Coca-Cola has retained many of its historical design features in modern glass [[Coke bottle|bottles]].
| type = [[Cola]]
| manufacturer = [[The Coca-Cola Company]]
| origin = United States
| region = [[Atlanta]], Georgia, U.S.
| introduced = {{start date and age|1886|5|8}}
| color = [[Caramel E-150d]]
| variants = {{plainlist|
* [[Diet Coke]]
* [[Diet Coke Caffeine-Free]]
* [[Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola]]
* [[Coca-Cola Zero Sugar]]
* [[Coca-Cola Cherry]]
* [[Coca-Cola Vanilla]]
* [[Coca-Cola Cherry Vanilla]]
* [[Coca-Cola Citra]]
* [[Coca-Cola with Lime|Coca-Cola Lime]]
* [[Maaza|Coca-Cola Mango]]
* [[Coca-Cola Spiced]]
* [[Coca-Cola with Lemon]]
* [[Diet Coke with Lemon]]
}}
| related = [[Mojo (soft drink)|Mojo]]<br />[[Pepsi]]<br />[[RC Cola]]<br />[[Afri-Cola]]<br />[[Postobón]]<br />[[Inca Kola]]<br />[[Kola Real]]<br />[[Cavan Cola]]<br />[[Est Cola]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.coca-cola.com/|coca-cola.com}}
| image_size = 190
| logo_size = 190
}}

'''Coca-Cola''', or '''Coke''', is a [[cola]] [[soft drink]] manufactured by [[the Coca-Cola Company]]. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8&nbsp;billion company beverage servings each day.<ref>Elmore, 2013, p. 717</ref> Coca-Cola ranked No. 94 in the 2024 [[Fortune 500|''Fortune'' 500]] list of the [[List of largest companies in the United States by revenue|largest United States corporations by revenue]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Coca-Cola |url=https://fortune.com/company/coca-cola/ |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=Fortune |language=en}}</ref> Based on Interbrand's "best global brand" study of 2023, Coca-Cola was the world's [[List of most valuable brands|sixth most valuable brand]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Global Brands - The 100 Most Valuable Global Brands |url=https://interbrand.com/best-brands/ |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=Interbrand |language=en-US}}</ref>

Originally marketed as a [[temperance bar|temperance drink]] and intended as a [[patent medicine]], Coca-Cola was invented in the late 19th century by [[John Stith Pemberton]] in [[Atlanta]], Georgia. In 1888, Pemberton sold the ownership rights to [[Asa Griggs Candler]], a businessman, whose marketing tactics led Coca-Cola to its dominance of the global soft-drink market throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.<ref name="Eschner2017">{{cite news |last1=Eschner |first1=Kat |title=Coca-Cola's Creator Said the Drink Would Make You Smarter |newspaper=[[Smithsonian Magazine]] |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/coca-colas-creator-said-drink-would-make-you-smarter-180962665/ |access-date=October 7, 2019 |language=en |date=March 29, 2017 |quote=So Pemberton concocted a recipe using coca leaves, kola nuts and sugar syrup. "His new product debuted in 1886: 'Coca-Cola: The temperance drink,'" writes Hamblin. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814233739/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/coca-colas-creator-said-drink-would-make-you-smarter-180962665/ |archive-date=August 14, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> The name refers to two of its original ingredients: [[coca]] leaves and [[kola nut]]s (a source of [[caffeine]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Greenwood |first=Veronique |date=September 23, 2016 |title=The little-known nut that gave Coca-Cola its name |url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160922-the-nut-that-helped-to-build-a-global-empire |access-date=January 21, 2023 |website=BBC |language=en |archive-date=August 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808215627/https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160922-the-nut-that-helped-to-build-a-global-empire |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Coca-Cola formula|formula of Coca-Cola]] remains a [[trade secret]]; however, a variety of reported recipes and experimental recreations have been published. The secrecy around the formula has been used by Coca-Cola as a marketing aid because only a handful of anonymous employees know the formula.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Ivana Kottasova |title=Does formula mystery help keep Coke afloat? |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/18/business/coca-cola-secret-formula/index.html |access-date=March 21, 2022 |website=CNN |date=February 18, 2014 |language=en-US |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321170452/http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/18/business/coca-cola-secret-formula/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The drink has inspired imitators and created a whole classification of soft drink: colas.

The Coca-Cola Company produces [[concentrate]], which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold exclusive territory contracts with the company, produce the finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate, in combination with filtered water and sweeteners. A typical {{convert|12|USfloz|adj=on}} can contains {{convert|38|g}} of sugar (usually in the form of [[high-fructose corn syrup]] in North America). The bottlers then sell, distribute, and merchandise Coca-Cola to retail stores, restaurants, and [[vending machine]]s throughout the world. The Coca-Cola Company also sells concentrate for [[soda fountain]]s of major restaurants and [[foodservice distributor]]s.

The Coca-Cola Company has, on occasion, introduced other cola drinks under the Coke name. The most common of these is [[Diet Coke]], along with others including [[Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola]], [[Diet Coke Caffeine-Free]], [[Coca-Cola Zero Sugar]], [[Coca-Cola Cherry]], [[Coca-Cola Vanilla]], and special versions with [[Coca-Cola with Lemon|lemon]], [[Coca-Cola with Lime|lime]], and [[Coca-Cola with Coffee|coffee]]. Coca-Cola was called "Coca-Cola Classic" from July 1985 to 2009, to distinguish it from "[[New Coke]]".