Trung Phan

It's true. There used to be some cocaine in Coca-Cola.

That formula dates back to the 1880s. But how much and for how long? 

Here's a breakdown🧵 https://t.co/iHtq4mzhKR

As most people know: Cocaine is extracted and chemically processed from coca leaves.

The plant has mild stimulant effects and has been used by indigenous people in South America for thousands of years (traditional method of consumption is by chewing the leaf or steeping as tea). https://t.co/KZRJgeVN6e

By the mid-1800s, Europeans were using cocaine recreationally. A popular way to consume it was in a drink called Vin Mariani (combo of cocaine and red wine).

Famous fans of the beverage included Pope Leo XIII and President Ulysses S. Grant (when the drink made it to the States). https://t.co/2xoiZJKjyV

After the end of the Civil War, pharmacists in America started cranking out "patent medicines" to provide a buzz as well as relieve headaches and bodily pains.

These unregulated concoctions contained hard drugs like morphine, opium, heroin and cocaine. https://t.co/vwvthkRtl6

Enter John Stith Pemberton, a Confederate veteran turned pharmacist who wanted to create his own patent medicine.

Pemberton borrowed Europe's Vin Mariani formula. To mix it up, he added kola nuts — which have caffeine — to the red wine and cocaine.

The name: Pemberton Red Wine. https://t.co/QeZLwXMNEP

To repeat: red wine, caffeine and cocaine (technically it was ecgonine, a precursor to cocaine)

Predictably, Pemberton Red Wine was a big hit.

However, by early 1880s, the state of Georgia restricted alcohol sales. Pemberton was based in Atlanta and had to pivot the formula. https://t.co/9ivcyYfVOc

Pemberton dropped the wine and reformulated a drink around the coca leaves and kola nuts. Hence the product "Coca-Cola", which was launched in 1886.

He sold the formula — which included a ton of sugar — as syrup to fountain soda shops. https://t.co/XIGT7w4qTK

By 1891, Atlanta businessman Asa Candler had bought the formula for only $2,300.

Candler’s teamed revved up marketing and Coca-Cola blew up over the next decade (including a bottling business). However, the drink's cocaine content was a major issue at the turn of the century. https://t.co/pJYQfxdf8q

In the early 1900s, there was only 1/400th of a grain (65mg) of cocaine per oz of Coca-Cola syrup.

But critics blamed the drink for cocaine addiction and  stirred racist fears that it was leading to Black crime.

To deal with the bad PR, Candler took out the cocaine in 1902. https://t.co/lZm1bPdULP

While cocaine was out, Candler wanted to protect the "Coca-Cola" trademark and the name had to remain "descriptive" (the drink needed traces of the coca leaf).

So, he created a powder for the formula with "decocainized" coca leaves and kola nuts and called it "Merchandise #5". https://t.co/5CWRTatsXH

The US soon banned cocaine and, in 1922, it blocked coca imports.

Coca-Cola was ready and its lobbyist negotiated a special exemption. A New Jersey-based firm called Maywood Chemical Works was permitted to import coca leaves (mostly from Peru)

Maywood's #1 customer? Coca-Cola. https://t.co/dVD4Uh9pGh

In 1988, Coca-Cola confirmed its relationship with Maywood (then owned by Stepan Co). As recently as 2003, it imported 385,000 lbs of coca leaves to "decocainize" as extract for Coca-Cola.

The street value as cocaine was $200m (some sold for medical use and the rest destroyed). https://t.co/gvQgxNVayk

If you enjoyed that, follow me for other dope threads and check out my Saturday business newsletter including: 

• Why is Linkedin so cringe?
• The psychology of Apple packaging
• The Michelin Guide system, explained

https://t.co/jGZs8bakTR

PS. If you’re like me and consume a ton of content, check out my AI-powered research app https://t.co/5TAEY6T3aK that boosts:

• Reading (instant summaries)
• Writing (copy editing, grammar, auto-gen text)
• My dopamine levels on every sign-up (like a glass of 1886 Coca-Cola)

Sources 

NYT: https://t.co/x60VHWNHs9

Business Insider: https://t.co/vbgfCXCoHk

Eater: https://t.co/45jxIxiENC

Snopes: https://t.co/0cLHiowZ53

Instead of bringing back the 1886 Coca-Cola, the Pemberton Red Wine might be an even bigger winner: https://t.co/FPAQKoQiEG

There’s a ~100 year old diner shop in Manhattan that serves Coca-Cola the old-fashioned way. https://t.co/JRUyYG3gwl

they fumbled the ball by not making the “cocaine in coke” movie https://t.co/GhVCNglblq

Glen & Friends re-created the 1886 Coca-Cola drink (minus coca leaves). Sounds very sugary: https://t.co/IOxBKa4CiI https://t.co/CZajLTSBF3

Write on business. Create with @workweekinc. Co-host @niapodcast. Building an AI research app for reading + writing: https://t.co/fZ5ObIyBGI

Apple finally fixed the problem of losing your AirPods. Just bought a few of the new products (life changer). https://t.co/tdMSnzTXXc

Apple didn’t even need to demo this product to know it works https://t.co/eBKOeRVUzc

This was the final straw that broke my AirPods back https://t.co/md6JeKEbOu

Nic Cage legit had one of the best four-film runs in Hollywood history: https://t.co/6rtaKyJvE5 https://t.co/Z0X2y4s3IM

Nicolas Cage on if he wants to join the MCU — “I don’t need to be in the MCU, I’m Nic Cage.”

(Source: https://t.co/ainkfyTVSZ) https://t.co/43KTBO1llx

Your leading source for quick reliable news and one of a kind content. Home for healthy and liberating discussion on all things pop culture.

DiscussingFilm

Wins a Best Actor Award and rocks this hair…unreal https://t.co/PmQcTMVDjH

The Matrix special FX were next level https://t.co/NYJoTMo2Cg

That was actually a parody from a music video (Charli XCX & Troye Sivan - 1999). 

Real film put wires on Keanu: https://t.co/vUBRVtaXNn https://t.co/9cZo5MuPPA

One guy that might use the wooden poles for actors is Christopher Nolan https://t.co/BSytcC4v2m

this image is sadly also not real: https://t.co/qphFNYVGGH https://t.co/mwqPTBA2XH

“The customer is always right” https://t.co/rmtbRXzrvA

That Subway sandwich is the most appetizing combination of bread and a cocoa-based sweet since Nutella https://t.co/1VwYfF06dJ

Here’s a wild Subway stat.

The chain created the $5 footlong in 2008 and “In the 2008-09 fiscal year alone, the $5 footlong promo generated $3.8B in sales — more than the entire annual revenue of franchises like Arby’s and Domino’s Pizza.”

🔗 https://t.co/XbkjsdTziV https://t.co/wgdiVp0bxe

i say dumb shit online | i stream on twitch

✦ eve ✦

The Netflix “Schmunguss category” is an all-timer for fake corporate product pranks https://t.co/muvdN6e3X2

Internet sleuths hit IMDB to confirm that Paul Giamatti is wasn’t in a film called “The Shmunguss King” in 2012 https://t.co/kwJ9x0hLcA

Gotta have the Know Your Meme breakdown! https://t.co/6SoxyPMQVI

Dr. Seuss raps go very hard https://t.co/EpddqlLZZm

Another banger Dr. Seuss rap from Jordan Simons: https://t.co/cCCnIofW9x https://t.co/BJpIh40vVO

Tom Sp8

men only want one thing and it’s disgusting https://t.co/bOT6YewXzu

Anyways, here’s an article of how F1 (and other racing technology) has found its way into everyday use https://t.co/rMzZt7wexS

Huge props for putting the 2nd flatscreen on top of what look to be two Mac Pros https://t.co/4ZiFlP9IYI

Fast Company named McDonald’s the 2nd most innovative company in the world, citing that it sells menu hacks that customers make on TikTok. Like this Hash Brown McMuffin, which is literally just a Hash Brown in a McMuffin. https://t.co/iZXl5PzPi5

I’m not doubting the deliciousness of the Hash Brown McMuffin, just the level of innovation involved: https://t.co/nwaSLaTWuI https://t.co/ANENY6KDrz

think this is The Office’s best joke ever https://t.co/Fy4mjlGLP5

Michael Scott is actually an incredible salesman (just an awful manager). 

I’ve written about it here including a gem of a quote from Ricky Gervais: https://t.co/AOzwweWGMl https://t.co/RANx4UQ2pp

Great video of Michael Scott being a good salesman. 

Top comment says it all: https://t.co/T5qvslouvn https://t.co/SKKg8Sg18F

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