History of the Soda Bottle Patent

In 1767, scientists discovered that CO2 was responsible for the bubbles in spring water and mineral water was born. In 1789, Jacob Schweppe began selling seltzer water in Geneva and 9 years later, the term soda water was coined. Soda water rose in popularity throughout the early 19th century and in 1819 Samuel Fahnestock invented the first soda fountain.

In the mid-1800s, corner drug stores were becoming an important center of gravity for many towns. People would visit the pharmacist, socialize with others, and sometimes grab something to eat. Pharmacists would mix soda water with substances like cocaine and caffeine to make it taste better. On the backs of these concoctions, many soda companies were started including Dr. Pepper (1885) and Coca Cola (1886).

While soda production and consumption was booming, mass production of the iconic glass bottle didn’t begin until 1899. Sadly, once bottles were adopted by the public, pharmacists no longer needed to mix soda by hand, ending the practice of mixing cocaine into soda. From the 1920s to 1950s, obsession with glass bottles reached an all time high. Although, over time, companies moved toward more practical receptacles like aluminum cans.

In the height of the public’s obsession with glass soda bottles, Eugene Kelly of Toronto, Ontario filed a patent for an ornamental bottle design. The 1937 patent, while strikingly similar to a coke bottle, was never produced at scale as it was only permitted to be used for toys or other memorabilia. 

Check out the patent