Brits are only just discovering Pepsi's original name, which lasted merely a few years. While the enduring battle between Coke and Pepsi may never reach a conclusion, most would agree a glass of the fizzy beverage is a summer staple.
However, it appears the drink, crafted from sugar, water, caramel, and spices, was initially called something entirely different when it first appeared. Back in 1893, Caleb D. Bradham, hailing from North Carolina, sold the carbonated drink at the local pharmacy where he worked after leaving university.
In what could be described as a rather lacklustre marketing move, he christened the beverage Brad's Drink.
What people think of Pepsi's original name
On social media, it's evident people are still discovering this fact today. "I just learned that Pepsi was originally called 'Brad's drink'," one astonished user said on X (formerly Twitter). "So anyway, I'm going to be reeling from that for a week or so."
Responding to the jaw-dropping revelation, another user commented: "Brad's Drink sounds like the name of a 90s alt-rock album." A third equally bewildered user added: "What? Oh my god." While a fourth simply wrote: "Great name!"
The history of the Pepsi-Cola brand rebrand
Approximately five years following the brand's launch, Bradham purchased the rights to the name 'Pep Kola' from a local rival before subsequently changing it to Pepsi-Cola. It wasn't until 1961 that it became simply 'Pepsi' - as we recognise it today.
By 1976 Pepsi was the single largest soft drink brand sold in American supermarkets, and two years later the brand started experimenting with new flavours and multipacks.
Numerous linguists suggest the word Pepsi originates from the Greek πέψη, meaning 'digestion'. Indeed, by 1904, the beverage's slogan had become: "Exhilarating, Invigorating, Aids Digestion."
