Getting hard to ignore...

Noun: a cold, usually sweet drink that does not contain alcohol.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

1767, Joseph Priestly invents Soda Water & is believed to be a cure for various illnesses because natural, carbonated water contained healing powers. Soft drinks soon outgrew their origins in the medical world & 1845, R Whites Lemonade went on sale in the UK. Early 20th Century see’s soda bottle sales increase exponentially in 6 packs & vending machines. This grows again in the second half of the 20th Century as soft drinks are canned. Consumption doubles from 1970 – 2000 with more & more flavours introduced & with Sugar levels high, Diet variants are more widely introduced.

HOW IT'S ALL GOING

To avoid large price increases due to the Sugar tax in 2018, many soft drinks manufacturers reformulated their range to lower sugar levels & avoid the levy. As consumer demands change & the category's premiumisation continues, many brands are now looking to promote both “All Natural” sweeteners & flavours. Raissa de Haas, the co-founder of Double Dutch Drinks, says the government’s soft drinks industry levy has “definitely set a wave for people to become more health conscious”.