As the all-knowing tiny voice spouts out, "Side effects may include irritable bowel syndrome, thyroid disorders, and severe headaches," you cannot help but ask yourself, "What kind of junk are the pharmaceutical companies trying to jam down my throat this week?" The sad thing is, we've fallen for it before, and we actually feel good about it.
On that note, I was surprised to find that my beloved Coca Cola wasn't created as a tasty libation to sip with hamburgers and Mexican food, but rather as a tonic to cure fatigue and stimulate the nerves. John Pemberton, a former surgeon turned chemist, developed Coke in 1886 in a cutting edge analytical laboratory and then spent twenty years marketing his nerve tonic as a cure-all before he recognized that soda fountains were selling more of his product as "candied water" than he was as a tonic.
Does this mean that the sodas of the future will be remnants of our favorite prescriptions of today and our grandchildren will be hooked on Effexor, Zocor, and Abilify - not because they got a prescription on their 35th birthday, but rather because it is the soft drink of their childhood? My guess is that only one of the above will rise to the challenge of world domination - might the one with the best name win.
Rum and Coke
The Rum and Coke has contending stories as to its history, but it is known that it was created in 1900 in Cuba. American Troops introduced Coca Cola to Cuba during the Spanish American War. At that point in time, rum and cokes were considered exotic, as Coke was an interesting potion containing both coca leaves and cola nuts.
2 ounces of white rum
3 ounces Coca Cola add
ice and enjoy
