Brad’s Drink or Pepsi?

Pepsi has been nearly synonymous with cola for more than a century, but it wasn’t always called that.

We have pharmacist Caleb Bradham to thank for the bubbly beverage, as well as its original name: Brad’s Drink.

Believing that his concoction had digestive benefits, Bradham sold it at his pharmacy in New Bern, North Carolina. Brad’s Drink didn’t last long, however — it was renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898.

The new name was partly derived from the word “dyspepsia” a technical term for indigestion, and was meant to convey the tasty beverage’s supposed medicinal properties. Bradham trademarked the name in 1903, and the company grew exponentially over the next few years, with 240 franchises opening across 24 states by 1910.

Pepsi isn’t the only major company to undergo a name change, of course — 7-Eleven used to be known as Tote’m Stores,  Nike was founded as Blue Ribbon Sports, , and Canon was originally called Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory, among others.

Just a note of trivia to start our week off!