Podcast
Acquired
This book was cited as a great source that had access to corporate archives, detailing Pemberton's creation process for the syrup and the lore surrounding the secret formula that was allegedly written down for the first time as collateral for a loan.
At last he stood on the verge of inventing Coca-Cola. Down in the basement, Pemberton filled his 40-gallon kettle with plain water, which he then heated to a boil over an open fire. Using a wooden pad...
— Episode: Coca-Cola
Episode: Coca-Cola
This book was cited as a great source that had access to corporate archives, detailing Pemberton's creation process for the syrup and the lore surrounding the secret formula that was allegedly written down for the first time as collateral for a loan.
At last he stood on the verge of inventing Coca-Cola. Down in the basement, Pemberton filled his 40-gallon kettle with plain water, which he then heated to a boil over an open fire. Using a wooden paddle to stir the solution, he melted in sugar and caffeine.
Exactly how much cocaine went into the inaugural batch of Doc Pemberton's new soft drink syrup is impossible to calculate more than a century later. But with even a touch of the drug, in combination with the sugar and caffeine, four times the amount in today's coke made Pemberton's concoction quite a stimulating beverage.
Asa made his son memorize the contents of the various containers that were stored carefully in a locked room with their labels peeled or scratched off. For days, with his father standing watch over his shoulder, Howard practiced making the ultra-secret flavoring compound, Merchandise Number 7X, learning to recognize the pungent fruit and vegetable oils by sight, smell, and remembering each was put on the shelf when it came in from the supplier until he knew by heart the proper amounts and the exact order in which to mix them.