Editing Coca-Cola (section)

== History ==
===19th century origins===
[[File:John Pemberton.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[John Pemberton]], the original creator of Coca-Cola]]
[[File:19th century Coca-Cola coupon.jpg|thumb|Believed to be the first coupon ever, this ticket for a free glass of Coca-Cola was first distributed in 1888 to help promote the drink. By 1913, the company had redeemed 8.5&nbsp;million tickets.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=First Coupon Ever |last=Geuss |first=Megan |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |volume=18 |date = October 2010|page=104 |issue=11}}</ref>]]
[[File:Coca Cola ad ca. 1943 IMG 3744.JPG|thumb|This refurbished Coca-Cola advertisement from 1943 is still displayed in [[Minden, Louisiana]].]]
[[File:Coca Cola Bottling Machine, Biedenharn Museum and Gardens IMG 4101.JPG|thumb|Early Coca-Cola vending machine at [[Biedenharn Museum and Gardens]] in [[Monroe, Louisiana]]]]

Confederate Colonel [[John Pemberton]], wounded in the [[American Civil War]] and [[Morphine addiction|addicted to morphine]], also had a medical degree and began a quest to find a substitute for the problematic drug.<ref>Richard Gardiner, "The Civil War Origin of Coca-Cola in Columbus, Georgia," ''Muscogiana: Journal of the Muscogee Genealogical Society'' (Spring 2012), Vol. 23: 21–24.</ref> In 1885 at Pemberton's Eagle Drug and Chemical House, his drugstore in [[Columbus, Georgia]], he registered [[Pemberton's French Wine Coca]] nerve tonic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/muscogee/photos/pemberto13411gph.txt |title=Coca-Cola Inventor was Local Pharmacist |work=Columbus Ledger |access-date=March 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511115720/http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/muscogee/photos/pemberto13411gph.txt |archive-date=May 11, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/03/27/1514591/columbus-helped-make-cokes-success.html|title=Columbus helped make Coke's success|work=Columbus Ledger-Enquirer|date=March 27, 2011|access-date=August 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110115355/http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/03/27/1514591/columbus-helped-make-cokes-success.html|archive-date=November 10, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W4JGAQAAIAAJ&q=%22pemberton%2C+john+s.+atlanta%22+nerve&pg=PA423 |title=Annual Report of the Patent Office, 1885 |access-date=April 26, 2014 |last1=Patent Office |first1=United States |year=1886 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423112322/https://books.google.com/books?id=W4JGAQAAIAAJ&q=%22pemberton%2C+john+s.+atlanta%22+nerve&pg=PA423 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=pemberton_1.jpg|access-date=April 26, 2014|via=columbusstate.edu|url=http://facstaff.columbusstate.edu/gardiner_Richard/columbus/John_Pemberton_files/pemberton_1.jpg|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130908005438/http://facstaff.columbusstate.edu/gardiner_Richard/columbus/John_Pemberton_files/pemberton_1.jpg|archive-date=September 8, 2013}}</ref> Pemberton's tonic may have been inspired by the formidable success of [[Vin Mariani]], a French-[[Corsica]]n [[coca wine]],<ref>{{cite book| last = Pendergrast| first = Mark|author-link=Mark Pendergrast|title = For God, Country and Coca-Cola| url = https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0| url-access = limited| date = 2000| publisher = Basic Books| isbn = 978-0-465-05468-8| page = [https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0/page/25 25] }}</ref> but his recipe additionally included the African [[kola nut]], the beverage's source of caffeine.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/cokemachinedirty00blan|url-access=limited|title=The Coke machine : the dirty truth behind the world's favorite soft drink|last=Blanding|first=Michael|date=2010|publisher=Avery|isbn=9781583334065|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cokemachinedirty00blan/page/n23 14]|oclc=535490831}}</ref> A Spanish drink called "Kola Coca" was presented at a contest in Philadelphia in 1885, a year before the official birth of Coca-Cola. The rights for this Spanish drink were bought by Coca-Cola in 1953.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/08/10/newser-spanish-town-coca-cola/2638515/|title=Spanish town claims origins of Coca-Cola|website=[[USA Today]]|access-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302212931/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/08/10/newser-spanish-town-coca-cola/2638515/|archive-date=March 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Montón |first=Lorena |date=2024-09-18 |title=El origen español de la Coca-Cola es real |url=https://www.rtve.es/television/20240918/origen-espanol-coca-cola/16252984.shtml |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=RTVE |language=es}}</ref>

In 1886, when Atlanta and [[Fulton County, Georgia|Fulton County]] passed [[Prohibition in the United States|prohibition]] legislation, Pemberton responded by developing Coca-Cola, a non-alcoholic version of [[Pemberton's French Wine Coca]].<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Jack |last=Hayes |title=Coca-Cola Television Advertisements: Dr. John S. Pemberton |url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colainvnt.html |magazine=Nation's Restaurant News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070106000832/http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colainvnt.html |archive-date=January 6, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 21, 2007 }}</ref> It was marketed as "Coca-Cola: The temperance drink", which appealed to many people as the [[temperance movement]] enjoyed wide support during this time.<ref name="Eschner2017"/> The first sales were at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 8, 1886,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cocacolaweb.online.fr/chronicle/01.php |author=The Coca-Cola Company |title=The Chronicle Of Coca-Cola |access-date=January 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917012648/http://cocacolaweb.online.fr/chronicle/01.php |archive-date=September 17, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> where it initially sold for five [[Cent (currency)|cents]] a glass.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2165787/ |title=The Mystery of the 5-Cent Coca-Cola: Why it's so hard for companies to raise prices |first=Tim |last=Harford |work=Slate |date=May 11, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070514033738/http://www.slate.com/id/2165787/ |archive-date=May 14, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=May 12, 2007 }}</ref> Drugstore [[soda fountain]]s were popular in the United States at the time due to the belief that [[carbonated water]] was good for the health,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colatime1.html |title=Themes for Coca-Cola Advertising (1886–1999) |access-date=February 11, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303070717/http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colatime1.html |archive-date=March 3, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Pemberton's new drink was marketed and sold as a [[patent medicine]], Pemberton claiming it a cure for many diseases, including morphine addiction, indigestion, nerve disorders, headaches, and [[impotence]]. Pemberton ran the first advertisement for the beverage on May 29 of the same year in the ''[[Atlanta Journal]]''.<ref>{{cite book| last = Pendergrast| first = Mark| title = For God, Country and Coca-Cola| url = https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0| url-access = limited| date = 2000| publisher = Basic Books| isbn = 978-0-465-05468-8| page = [https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0/page/32 32] }}</ref>

By 1888, three versions of Coca-Cola – sold by three separate businesses – were on the market. A co-partnership had been formed on January 14, 1888, between Pemberton and four Atlanta businessmen: [[J. C. Mayfield|J.C. Mayfield]], A.O. Murphey, C.O. Mullahy, and E.H. Bloodworth. Not codified by any signed document, a verbal statement given by Asa Candler years later asserted under testimony that he had acquired a stake in Pemberton's company as early as 1887.<ref>{{cite book| last = Pendergrast| first = Mark| title = For God, Country and Coca-Cola| url = https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0| url-access = limited| year=2000| publisher = Basic Books| isbn = 978-0-465-05468-8| page = [https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0/page/42 42] }}</ref> John Pemberton declared that the {{em|name}} "Coca-Cola" belonged to his son, Charley, but the other two manufacturers could continue to use the {{em|formula}}.<ref name="Pendergrast1">{{cite book| last = Pendergrast| first = Mark| title = For God, Country and Coca-Cola| url = https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0| url-access = limited| date = 2000| publisher = Basic Books| isbn = 978-0-465-05468-8| pages = [https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0/page/45 45]–47 }}</ref>

Charley Pemberton's record of control over the "Coca-Cola" name was the underlying factor that allowed for him to participate as a major shareholder in the March 1888 Coca-Cola Company incorporation filing made in his father's place.<ref>{{cite book| last = Pendergrast| first = Mark| title = For God, Country and Coca-Cola| url = https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0| url-access = limited| date = 2000| publisher = Basic Books| isbn = 978-0-465-05468-8| page = [https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0/page/45 45] }}</ref> Charley's exclusive control over the "Coca-Cola" name became a continual thorn in Asa Candler's side. Candler's oldest son, [[Charles Howard Candler Sr.|Charles Howard Candler]], authored a book in 1950 published by [[Emory University]]. In this definitive biography about his father, Candler specifically states: "on April 14, 1888, the young druggist Asa Griggs Candler purchased a one-third interest in the formula of an almost completely unknown proprietary elixir known as Coca-Cola."<ref name=Candler1950p81>{{cite book | last = Candler | first = Charles Howard | title = Asa Griggs Candler | year = 1950 | publisher = Emory University | page = 81 | location = Georgia }}</ref> The deal was actually between John Pemberton's son Charley and Walker, Candler & Co. – with John Pemberton acting as cosigner for his son. For $50 down and $500 in 30 days, Walker, Candler & Co. obtained all of the one-third interest in the Coca-Cola Company that Charley held, all while Charley still held on to the name. After the April 14 deal, on April 17, 1888, one-half of the Walker/Dozier interest shares were acquired by Candler for an additional $750.<ref name=ForGodCountryandCocaColapg44-45>{{cite book| last = Pendergrast| first = Mark| title = For God, Country and Coca-Cola| url = https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0| url-access = limited| date = 2000| publisher = Basic Books| isbn = 978-0-465-05468-8| pages = [https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0/page/44 44]–45 }}</ref>

===Company===
After Candler had gained a better foothold on Coca-Cola in April 1888, he nevertheless was forced to sell the beverage he produced with the recipe he had under the names "Yum Yum" and "Koke". This was while Charley Pemberton was selling the elixir, although a cruder mixture, under the name "Coca-Cola", all with his father's blessing. After both names failed to catch on for Candler, by the middle of 1888, the Atlanta pharmacist was quite anxious to establish a firmer legal claim to Coca-Cola, and hoped he could force his two competitors, Walker and Dozier, completely out of the business, as well.<ref name="ForGodCountryandCocaColapg44-45" />

John Pemberton died suddenly on August 16, 1888. Asa Candler then decided to move swiftly forward to attain full control of the entire Coca-Cola operation.

Charley Pemberton, an alcoholic and opium addict, unnerved Asa Candler more than anyone else. Candler is said to have quickly maneuvered to purchase the exclusive rights to the name "Coca-Cola" from Pemberton's son Charley immediately after he learned of Dr. Pemberton's death. One of several stories states that Candler approached Charley's mother at John Pemberton's funeral and offered her $300 in cash for the rights to the name.

In Charles Howard Candler's 1950 book about his father, he stated: "On August 30 [1888], he {{bracket|[[Asa Candler]]}} became the sole proprietor of Coca-Cola, a fact which was stated on letterheads, invoice blanks and advertising copy."<ref name=Candler1950p81/>

With this action on August 30, 1888, Candler's sole control became technically all true. Candler had negotiated with Margaret Dozier and her brother Woolfolk Walker a full payment amounting to $1,000, which all agreed Candler could pay off with a series of notes over a specified time span. By May 1, 1889, Candler was claiming full ownership of the Coca-Cola beverage, with a total investment outlay by Candler for the drink enterprise over the years amounting to $2,300.<ref>{{cite book| last = Pendergrast| first = Mark| title = For God, Country and Coca-Cola| url = https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0| url-access = limited| date = 2000| publisher = Basic Books| isbn = 978-0-465-05468-8| page = [https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0/page/46 46] }}</ref>

In 1914, Margaret Dozier, as co-owner of the original Coca-Cola Company in 1888, came forward to claim that her signature on the 1888 Coca-Cola Company bill of sale had been forged. Subsequent analysis of other similar transfer documents had also indicated John Pemberton's signature had most likely been forged as well, which some accounts claim was precipitated by his son Charley.<ref name="Pendergrast1" />

In 1892, Candler set out to incorporate a second company, the Coca-Cola Company (the modern corporation). When Candler had the earliest records of the "Coca-Cola Company" destroyed in 1910, the action was claimed to have been made during a move to new corporation offices around this time.<ref>{{cite book| last = Pendergrast| first = Mark| title = For God, Country and Coca-Cola| url = https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0| url-access = limited| date =2000| publisher = Basic Books| isbn = 978-0-465-05468-8| page = [https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0/page/49 49] }}</ref>

On June 23, 1894, Charley Pemberton was found unconscious with a stick of opium by his side. Ten days later, Charley died at Atlanta's Grady Hospital at the age of 40.<ref>{{cite book| last = Pendergrast| first = Mark| title = For God, Country and Coca-Cola| url = https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0| url-access = limited| date = 2000| publisher = Basic Books| isbn = 978-0-465-05468-8| pages = [https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0/page/48 48]–49}}</ref>

On September 12, 1919, Coca-Cola Co. was purchased by a group of investors led by [[Ernest Woodruff]]'s [[Trust Company of Georgia|Trust Company]] for $25&nbsp;million and reincorporated under the [[Delaware General Corporation Law]]. The company publicly offered 500,000 shares of the company for $40 a share.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/thisday/gahistory/09/12/coca-cola-sale-completed|title=This Day in Georgia History – Coca-Cola Sale Completed – GeorgiaInfo|work=usg.edu|access-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115081202/http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/thisday/gahistory/09/12/coca-cola-sale-completed|archive-date=November 15, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/robert-w-woodruff-1889-1985|title=Robert W. Woodruff (1889–1985)|encyclopedia=New Georgia Encyclopedia|access-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330195106/https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/robert-w-woodruff-1889-1985|archive-date=March 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1923, his son [[Robert W. Woodruff]] was elected President of the company. Woodruff expanded the company and brought Coca-Cola to the rest of the world. Coca-Cola began distributing bottles as "Six-packs", encouraging customers to purchase the beverage for their home.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wood |first1=Benjamin |last2=Ruskin |first2=Gary |last3=Sacks |first3=Gary |date=January 2020 |title=How Coca-Cola Shaped the International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health: An Analysis of Email Exchanges between 2012 and 2014 |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |language=en |volume=17 |issue=23 |pages=8996 |doi=10.3390/ijerph17238996 |issn=1660-4601 |pmc=7730322 |pmid=33287097 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

During its first several decades, Coca-Cola officially wanted to be known by its full-name despite being commonly known as "Coke". This was due to company fears that the term "coke" would eventually become a [[generic trademark]], which to an extent became true in the [[Southern United States]] where [[Names for soft drinks in the United States|"coke" is used even for non Coca-Cola products]]. The company also didn't want to confuse its drink with the [[Coke (fuel)|similarly named coal byproduct]] that clearly wasn't safe to consume. Eventually, out for fears that another company may claim the trademark for "Coke", Coca-Cola finally embraced it and officially endorsed the name "Coke" in 1941. "Coke" eventually became a registered trademark of the Coca-Cola Company in 1945.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/talk-town/world-coke-exhibit-shares-story-forgotten-sprite-boy/soMnt1rHQd9j5JxpyZeuML/ | title=World of Coke exhibit shares story of forgotten 'Sprite Boy' | access-date=April 2, 2023 | archive-date=April 2, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402005821/https://www.ajc.com/blog/talk-town/world-coke-exhibit-shares-story-forgotten-sprite-boy/soMnt1rHQd9j5JxpyZeuML/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1986, the Coca-Cola Company merged with two of their bottling operators (owned by JTL Corporation and BCI Holding Corporation) to form Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE).<ref name="cokecce.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.cokecce.com/about-cce/our-story|title=Coca-Cola Enterprises : Our Story|publisher=Coca-Cola Enterprises|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150417095329/http://www.cokecce.com/about-cce/our-story|archive-date=April 17, 2015}}</ref>

In December 1991, Coca-Cola Enterprises merged with the Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Group, Inc.<ref name="cokecce.com" />

===Origins of bottling===
[[File:Commercial. At the Coca Cola Plant BAnQ P48S1P06539.jpg|thumb|Bottling plant of Coca-Cola Canada Ltd., January 8, 1941, [[Montreal]], Canada]]
The first bottling of Coca-Cola occurred in [[Vicksburg, Mississippi]], at the Biedenharn Candy Company on March 12, 1894.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coca-colacompany.com/our-company/history-of-bottling|title=History of Bottling|author=The Coca-Cola Company|work=The Coca-Cola Company |access-date=March 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116234350/http://www.coca-colacompany.com/our-company/history-of-bottling|archive-date=January 16, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> The proprietor of the bottling works was [[Joseph A. Biedenharn]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/mar12/first-bottles-coca-cola/|title=Mar 12, 1894 CE: First Bottles of Coca-Cola|date=December 17, 2013|work=[[National Geographic Society]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604175453/https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/mar12/first-bottles-coca-cola/|archive-date=June 4, 2016|access-date=March 12, 2019}}</ref> The original bottles were [[Hutchinson Patent Stopper|Hutchinson]] bottles, very different from the much later hobble-skirt design of 1915 now so familiar.

A few years later two entrepreneurs from [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]], namely [[Benjamin Thomas (Coca-Cola bottler)|Benjamin F. Thomas]] and [[Joseph B. Whitehead]], proposed the idea of bottling and were so persuasive that Candler signed a contract giving them control of the procedure for only one dollar. Candler later realized that he had made a grave mistake.<ref>{{cite web|title=Coca-Cola History|website=worldofcoca-cola.com|url=https://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/about-us/coca-cola-history|access-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407225546/http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/about-us/coca-cola-history/|archive-date=April 7, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Candler never collected his dollar, but in 1899, Chattanooga became the site of the first Coca-Cola bottling company. Candler remained very content just selling his company's syrup.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cocacolaunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/HISTORY-OF-CHATTANOOGA-COCA-COLA-WORLDS-FIRST-BOTTLING-COMPANY.pdf |title=Chattanooga Coca-Cola History |access-date=August 24, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201213538/http://cocacolaunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/HISTORY-OF-CHATTANOOGA-COCA-COLA-WORLDS-FIRST-BOTTLING-COMPANY.pdf |archive-date=February 1, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> The loosely termed contract proved to be problematic for the Coca-Cola Company for decades to come. Legal matters were not helped by the decision of the bottlers to subcontract to other companies, effectively becoming parent bottlers.<ref name="history-of-bottling">{{cite web |url=http://www.coca-colacompany.com/our-company/history-of-bottling |title=History Of Bottling |access-date=January 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116234350/http://www.coca-colacompany.com/our-company/history-of-bottling |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This contract specified that bottles would be sold at 5¢ each and had no fixed duration, leading to the [[fixed price of Coca-Cola from 1886 to 1959]].

===20th century===
The first outdoor wall advertisement that promoted the Coca-Cola drink was painted in 1894 in [[Cartersville, Georgia]].<ref>[http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2DK6 First painted wall sign to advertise Coca-Cola : Cartersville, GA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324232658/http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2DK6 |date=March 24, 2010 }} – Waymarking</ref> Cola syrup was sold as an over-the-counter [[dietary supplement]] for upset stomach.<ref>Staff, The Doctors Book of Home Remedies. [http://www.guidetohealth.com/library/the-doctors-book-of-home-remedies/nausea/ Nausea: 10 Stomach-Soothing Solutions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524174753/http://www.guidetohealth.com/library/the-doctors-book-of-home-remedies/nausea/ |date=May 24, 2013 }}</ref><ref>Example: [https://web.archive.org/web/20110224015437/http://www.drugstore.com/flents-cola-syrup/qxp80274 Flent's Cola Syrup] Label says "For Simple Nausea associated with an upset stomach.* *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."</ref> By the time of its 50th anniversary, the soft drink had reached the status of a national icon in the US. In 1935, it was [[Kosher certification|certified kosher]] by Atlanta rabbi [[Tobias Geffen]]. With the help of Harold Hirsch, Geffen was the first person outside the company to see the top-secret ingredients list after Coke faced scrutiny from the American Jewish population regarding the drink's kosher status.<ref name=JewsandCocaCola>{{cite web |title=Atlanta Jews and Coca-Cola |work=Beit Hatfutsot |url=https://www.bh.org.il/atlanta-jews-and-coca-cola/ |access-date=June 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821062611/https://www.bh.org.il/atlanta-jews-and-coca-cola/ |archive-date=August 21, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Consequently, the company made minor changes in the sourcing of some ingredients so it could continue to be consumed by America's Jewish population, including during [[Passover]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ajhs.org/scholarship/chapters/chapter.cfm?documentID=270|title=Beyond Seltzer Water: The Kashering of Coca-Cola|publisher=American Jewish Historical Society|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100917045652/http://www.ajhs.org/scholarship/chapters/chapter.cfm?documentID=270|archive-date=September 17, 2010|access-date=February 26, 2007}}</ref> A yellow cap on a Coca-Cola drink indicates that it is [[kosher for Passover]].<ref>{{cite web |title=If You See a Yellow Cap on Coca-Cola, This Is What It Means |author=Melany Love |date=August 31, 2023 |website=Reader's Digest |url=https://www.rd.com/article/coca-cola-yellow-cap/}}</ref>

[[File:1BILLIONTHgallonCOCACOLAowner.jpg|thumb|Original framed Coca-Cola artist's drawn graphic presented by the Coca-Cola Company on July 12, 1944, to Charles Howard Candler on the occasion of Coca-Cola's "1 Billionth Gallon of Coca-Cola Syrup"]]

[[File:FLEEMANSpharmacyCOKErwLIPACKowner.jpg|thumb|Claimed to be the first installation anywhere of the 1948 model "Boat Motor" styled Coca-Cola soda dispenser, Fleeman's Pharmacy, Atlanta, Georgia. The "Boat Motor" soda dispenser was introduced in the late 1930s and manufactured until the late 1950s. Photograph {{circa|1948}}]]

The longest running commercial Coca-Cola soda fountain anywhere was Atlanta's Fleeman's Pharmacy, which first opened its doors in 1914.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bellystore.com/BELLYSTORE/history.htm|title=Fleeman's Pharmacy (now the Belly General Store)|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031217184412/http://www.bellystore.com/BELLYSTORE/history.htm|archive-date=December 17, 2003}}</ref> Jack Fleeman took over the pharmacy from his father and ran it until 1995; closing it after 81 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/local/jack-fleeman-owner-landmark-drugstore/BXly9zmIFesfhJRMYnt0qM/|title=Jack Fleeman – 86 – Owner|date=August 17, 2009|work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]|location=Georgia|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110115403/http://www.ajc.com/news/jack-fleeman-86-owner-117848.html|archive-date=November 10, 2012}}</ref> On July 12, 1944, the one-billionth gallon of Coca-Cola syrup was manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Cans of Coke first appeared in 1955.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://home.comcast.net/~collectiblesodacans/Cokepg1.htm |title=Coke Can History |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530045557/http://home.comcast.net/~collectiblesodacans/Cokepg1.htm |archive-date=May 30, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Sugar replaced with high-fructose corn syrup===
{{See also|1970s commodities boom}}
Sugar prices spiked in the 1970s because of [[Soviet]] demand/hoarding and possible futures contracts market manipulation. The Soviet Union was the largest producer of sugar at the time. In 1974 Coca-Cola switched over to [[high-fructose corn syrup]] because of the elevated prices.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.winton.com/longer-view/the-sweet-and-sour-history-of-sugar-prices | title=A History of Sugar Prices | access-date=September 2, 2022 | archive-date=September 1, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220901083635/https://www.winton.com/longer-view/the-sweet-and-sour-history-of-sugar-prices | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/05/archives/sugar-futures-up-on-soviet-buying-purchases-on-world-market-said-to.html | title=Sugar Futures up on Soviet Buying | newspaper=The New York Times | date=January 5, 1972 | last1=Ennis | first1=Thomas W. | access-date=September 2, 2022 | archive-date=September 1, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220901083638/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/05/archives/sugar-futures-up-on-soviet-buying-purchases-on-world-market-said-to.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Sugar Prices 1962-2022.webp|thumb|300px|center|Sugar prices 1962–2022]]

===New Coke===
{{Main|New Coke}}

[[File:World-of-coca-cola.jpg|thumb|The [[Las Vegas Strip]] [[World of Coca-Cola]] museum in 2003]]
On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola, amid much publicity, changed [[Coca-Cola formula|the formula]] of the drink with "New Coke". Follow-up taste tests revealed most consumers preferred the taste of New Coke to both old Coke and [[Pepsi]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1913612_1913610_1913608,00.html|title=New Coke – Top 10 Bad Beverage Ideas|date=April 23, 2010|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121111728/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1913612_1913610_1913608,00.html|archive-date=November 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> but Coca-Cola management was unprepared for the public's [[nostalgia]] for the old drink, leading to a [[Backlash (sociology)|backlash]]. The company gave in to protests and returned to the old formula under the name Coca-Cola Classic, on July 10, 1985. "New Coke" remained available and was renamed [[Coke II]] in 1992; it was discontinued in 2002.

===21st century===
On July 5, 2005, it was revealed that Coca-Cola would resume operations in Iraq for the first time since the [[Arab League]] boycotted the company in 1968.<ref>{{cite news |author=Rory Carroll in Baghdad |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jul/05/iraq.rorycarroll |title=Cola wars as Coke moves on Baghdad |work=The Guardian |date=July 5, 2005 |access-date=March 13, 2011 |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621193954/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jul/05/iraq.rorycarroll |archive-date=June 21, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In April 2007, in Canada, the name "Coca-Cola Classic" was changed back to "Coca-Cola". The word "Classic" was removed because "New Coke" was no longer in production, eliminating the need to differentiate between the two.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Compare Coca-Cola and Pepsi's marketing strategies |url=https://www.ukessays.com/essays/business-strategy/coca-cola-company.php |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=www.ukessays.com |language=en-gb}}</ref> The formula remained unchanged. In January 2009, Coca-Cola stopped printing the word "Classic" on the labels of {{convert|16|USfloz|ml|adj=on}} bottles sold in parts of the southeastern United States.<ref name="wsj">{{cite news |title=Coke to Omit 'Classic' |first=Betsy |last=McKay |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=January 30, 2009 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123332768434033495 |access-date=June 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521052905/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123332768434033495 |archive-date=May 21, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> The change was part of a larger strategy to rejuvenate the product's image.<ref name=wsj /> The word "Classic" was removed from all Coca-Cola products by 2011.

In November 2009, due to a dispute over wholesale prices of Coca-Cola products, [[Costco]] stopped restocking its shelves with Coke and Diet Coke for two months; a separate pouring rights deal in 2013 saw Coke products removed from Costco food courts in favor of Pepsi.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bevnet.com/news/2013/pepsicos-in-the-club-store-that-is-capturing-costco-food-service-account|title=PepsiCo's in the Club... Store, that is, Capturing Costco Food Service Account|last=Klinemann|first=Jeffrey|date=January 31, 2013|publisher=[[BevNET]]|access-date=April 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320120650/http://www.bevnet.com/news/2013/pepsicos-in-the-club-store-that-is-capturing-costco-food-service-account|archive-date=March 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Some Costco locations (such as the ones in [[Tucson, Arizona]]) additionally sell [[Mexican Coke|imported Coca-Cola from Mexico]] with cane sugar instead of corn syrup from separate distributors.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fredrix |first1=Emily |first2=Sarah |last2=Skidmore |title=Costco nixes Coke products over pricing dispute |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hC_n50ZLyl8FLDBIkGfCn7-110BwD9C1F1C80 |work=[[Google News]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=November 17, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20091120184311/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hC_n50ZLyl8FLDBIkGfCn7-110BwD9C1F1C80 |archive-date=November 20, 2009}}</ref> Coca-Cola introduced the 7.5-ounce mini-can in 2009, and on September 22, 2011, the company announced price reductions, asking retailers to sell eight-packs for $2.99. That same day, Coca-Cola announced the 12.5-ounce bottle, to sell for 89 cents. A 16-ounce bottle has sold well at 99 cents since being re-introduced, but the price was going up to $1.19.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111903374004576578980270401662|title=Coke Tailors Its Soda Sizes|last=Esterl|first=Mike|date=September 19, 2011|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=December 19, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219171247/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111903374004576578980270401662|archive-date=December 19, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2012, Coca-Cola resumed business in Myanmar after 60 years of absence due to US-imposed investment sanctions against the country.<ref name="BBC-GT-DEX-2012-CN-MP-X">{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18453401 | title=Coca-Cola returns to Burma after a 60-year absence | date=June 14, 2012 | work=BBC News | access-date=June 8, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022233834/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18453401 | archive-date=October 22, 2018 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="BLOOMBERG-GT-DEX-2012-CN-MP-X">{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-15/coca-cola-announces-will-return-to-myanmar-after-60-years.html | title=Coca-Cola Announces Will Return to Myanmar After 60 Years | publisher=Bloomberg | date=June 14, 2012 | first=Tony | last=Jordan | access-date=June 8, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211014652/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-15/coca-cola-announces-will-return-to-myanmar-after-60-years.html | archive-date=December 11, 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref> Coca-Cola's bottling plant is located in [[Yangon]] and is part of the company's five-year plan and $200&nbsp;million investment in Myanmar.<ref name="investvine">{{cite web|url=http://investvine.com/coca-cola-starts-bottling-in-myanmar/|title=Coca-Cola starts bottling in Myanmar|first=Justin|last=Calderon|work=Inside Investor|date=June 4, 2013|access-date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918184353/http://investvine.com/coca-cola-starts-bottling-in-myanmar/|archive-date=September 18, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Coca-Cola with its partners is to invest US$5&nbsp;billion in its operations in India by 2020.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/coca-cola-to-invest-rs-28-000-cr-in-india/966950/ | title=Coca-Cola to invest Rs 28,000 cr in India | date=June 26, 2012 | access-date=June 8, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917151332/http://www.indianexpress.com/news/coca-cola-to-invest-rs-28-000-cr-in-india/966950/ | archive-date=September 17, 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref>

In February 2021, as a plan to combat [[plastic waste]], Coca-Cola said that it would start selling its sodas in bottles made from 100% recycled plastic material in the United States, and by 2030 planned to recycle one bottle or can for each one it sold.<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 9, 2021|title=Coca-Cola turns to 100% recycled plastic bottles in U.S.|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-environment-plastic-coca-cola-idUSKBN2A921L|access-date=February 9, 2021|archive-date=February 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207101346/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-environment-plastic-coca-cola-idUSKBN2A921L|url-status=live}}</ref> Coca-Cola started by selling 2000 paper bottles to see if they held up due to the risk of safety and of changing the taste of the drink.<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 12, 2021|title=Coca-Cola company trials first paper bottle|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56023723|access-date=February 12, 2021|archive-date=July 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220710101145/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56023723|url-status=live}}</ref>