Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imitated by other manufacturers.

[8][9] Manufacturers of cola drinks add trace flavorings to create distinctive tastes for each brand.

[11] In the 1940s, Coca-Cola produced White Coke at the request of Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov.

It was especially known for being the "Hippie Cola" because of the focus on the harmful effects the color additive could have on children and the boycott of multinational brands.

It was inspired by a campaign on harmful additives in Denmark by the Environmental-Organization NOAH, an independent Danish division of Friends of the Earth.

[19] A link has been shown between long-term regular cola intake and osteoporosis in older women (but not men).

[24] Many soft drinks in North America are sweetened mostly or entirely with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), rather than white sugar.

[25] As of 2022[update], there is no high-quality evidence that replacing cane sugar (sucrose) with HFCS causes any difference in health effects.