MILLIONS of people have sipped Pepsi, but have you ever wondered where the name comes from?
Fans of the popular fizzy drink are just realising the “grim” meaning behind the word, and have been sharing their amazement online.
Pepsi-Cola was founded in 1898 by Caleb Davis Bradham, who was a pharmacist and inventor from North Carolina.
He had originally sold it as “Brad’s Drink” from his drugstore, but decided to give it a new name to reflect the ‘health benefits’ of the beverage.
Pepsi is said to be named after dyspepsia (indigestion) with the "Cola" referring to the cola flavour, according to the LA Times.
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The drink was touted by Caleb as a way to promote digestion and boost energy.
Some have claimed it was also named after pepsin, which is a digestive enzyme, although the recipe doesn’t contain pepsin as an ingredient.
Many Pepsi fans were shocked when they discovered the name's origins, with one saying on X, formerly known as Twitter: “I had no idea!”
Another added: “I was today years old when I learned that.”
It was announced in March 2023 that PepsiCo’s classic fizzy drinks now have 57 per cent less sugar in them.
The classic Pepsi, which comes in a blue can, will now have 4.55g of sugar per 100ml.
Regarding the taste, Pepsi said on its website: "We have worked hard to make sure our new classic Pepsi maintains the great taste that people expect while removing sugar and calories."
In addition to a lower amount of sugar, the reformulated Pepsi is sweetened with a blend of acesulfame potassium (Ace K) and sucralose, with 56 per cent fewer calories from added sugars.
Last Christmas, Pepsi brought out a limited edition festive flavour.
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Pepsi said the new drink gave "its classic cola taste credentials a spicy twist" - thanks to the addition of nutmeg.
Pepsi Nitro became the first-ever nitrogen-infused cola drink available on the market.
Pepsi also launched a limited-edition salted caramel-flavoured cola back in December 2017 - but only for US shoppers.
