Soft drink

A soft drink is a beverage that typically consists of water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavouring. For additional names of this kind of beverage. Sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, or a sugar replacement (in the case of diet beverages), or any mix of these may be used as the sweetener. Caffeine, colorings, preservatives, and/or other substances are sometimes included in soft drinks, depending on the brand.

To differentiate themselves from "hard" alcoholic beverages, soft drinks are referred to as "soft." It is possible for a soft drink to include trace levels of alcohol; but, in many nations and communities, the quantity of alcohol contained in the beverage must be lower than 0.5% of the total volume of the beverage in order for the beverage to be termed non-alcoholic. Lemon-lime beverages, orange soda, grape soda, ginger ale, root beer, and cola are some examples of the many types of soft drinks.

Soft drinks may be served either cold, with ice cubes, or at room temperature, depending on the preference of the customer. They are packaged in a wide variety of containers, including cans, glass bottles, and plastic bottles, among other options. There is a wide range of sizes available for containers, from single-serve bottles to massive storage units that hold several litres. Fast food restaurants, movie theatres, convenience shops, casual dining restaurants, specialised soda stores, vending machines, and bars that serve soft drinks from soda fountain machines are examples of establishments that stock a large variety of soft drinks.

Within a decade of Joseph Priestley's discovery of carbonated water in 1767, other inventors in Britain and Europe had used his concept to produce the beverage in greater quantities. One of these inventors, J. J. Schweppe, formed Schweppes in 1783 and sold the world's first bottled soft drink. Joseph Priestley's discovery of carbonated water occurred in the year 1767. R. White's Lemonade, which was established in 1845, Dr. Pepper, which was established in 1885, and Coca-Cola, which was established in 1886 are all examples of soft drink brands that were established in the 19th century. Pepsi, Irn-Bru, Sprite, Fanta, and 7-Up are some examples of brands that came later.