Things go better with Coke™

Everyone knows Coca-Cola used to contain cocaine along with half a dozen other flavorings and more than enough sugar.

Coca-Cola was first concocted by Dr. John S. Pemberton, a pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1886. Pemberton was addicted to morphine and needed a pick-me-up to combat the drowsiness brought on by pain killer. Coca-Cola quickly became Atlanta’s most popular soft drink.

Today it’s by far the world’s most popular soft drink with almost 2 billion servings a day across 200 countries. And it’s still flavored with a non-narcotic extract from coca leaves.

It’s supplied by Stepan Company in Maywood, New Jersey. Stepan Company is the only business in the US that has a license to import and process coca leaf. The dried coca leaf is imported from Peru and sometimes Bolivia.

How much dried coca leaf is legally imported each year? Around 100 metric tons.