logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
48m 40s

Always Coca-Cola: Coca, Kola, and the *R...

Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley
About this episode
Coca-Cola's red and white logo is so iconic that supposedly nine out of every ten people on Earth know it on sight. Nearly two billion servings of Coke are sold a day, enough for one out of every four people on the planet. Yet while a glimpse of a billboard or bottle might start you humming one of their catchy jingles, this legendary brand was actually creat ... Show More
Up next
Aug 18
So Hot Right Now: Why We Love the Chile Pepper
Perhaps no other plant is as entwined with pain and pleasure as the chile pepper. But why does it burn—and why on earth do we crave that uncomfortable sensation? How did capsaicin's fungus-fighting, digestion-enhancing, and adrenaline-triggering powers convince early hunter gathe ... Show More
48m 24s
Aug 4
Salad Days: A Story of Science, Sexism, and Jell-O
If leafy greens and a little vinaigrette is salad, and chicken with mayo is salad, and vegetables in Jello-O are ALSO salad… What exactly is salad?! That's the big question we're tackling this episode—and it takes us down some unexpected rabbit holes. Listen in now to hear how ‘s ... Show More
44m 31s
Jul 21
Where There's Smoke, There's...Whiskey, Fish, and Barbecue!
As anyone who’s spent time by a crackling campfire or a barbecue pit can attest, the scent of smoke is unmistakable—and surprisingly mysterious. Smoke clings to clothing but vanishes in the breeze. You see it, but you can’t hold it. It’s fantastic in whiskey and terrible in toast ... Show More
51m 5s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
Cocaine + Caffeine = Coca-Cola
John Pemberton launched Coca-Cola from a pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, on 8th May, 1886. Legend has it that a serendipitous mishap had led to the addition of carbonated water, transforming the medicinal tonic into a fizzy beverage that would capture the public's imagination. But ... Show More
12m 27s
Aug 2023
Coca Cola: A Backyard Invention
Was Coca Cola originally made with Cocaine? Did Coca Cola invent Santa? Who knows the Coca Cola recipe? Dallas is joined by Bart Elmore, an award-winning Professor and Writer who investigates the impact of big business on our environment to answer all of the questions which bubbl ... Show More
52m 36s
Feb 2019
Coca-Cola: The Cocaine Clinician | S9-E1
In the wake of the Civil War, Atlanta emerged as both the cultural capital of the New South, and the epicenter of its snake oil trade. A shell-shocked populace, haunted by poverty, hunger and disease sought salvation in the dubious cure-all tonics of the pharmacy trade. What they ... Show More
42m 30s
Mar 2021
Cola Wars Pt. 1
In 1886, an Atlanta-area pharmacist created an American institution: Coca-Cola. Seven years later, their rival, Pepsi, debuted. Since then, the soda giants have battled for market dominance. How far would they go to come out on top? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcast ... Show More
41m 58s
Sep 2022
55: Soft Drinks and Hard Drugs: Coca-Cola's Story is Soda-pressing
Welcome to the Dark History podcast. Did you know that fewer people know the recipe to Coca-Cola than know the nuclear code? Or that the few people who do know the recipe are not allowed to fly at the same time in case their flights go down. So how did Coca-Cola become such preci ... Show More
43m 24s
May 2019
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, the sugar water that captured our hearts, turns 133 years young this week. We look at the history of that bubbly brown beverage, explore the New Coke debacle and debate whether McDonald's really has the best Coke. In this episode, Pepsi is NOT okay.For full-length week ... Show More
1h 10m
Feb 2021
Coca-Cola’s Greatest Mistake | Out With The Old | 1
In 1985, when Coca-Cola eliminated its signature soft drink, “Coke”, and replaced it with a new and improved version called “New Coke”, the American people revolted. In this series premiere, we go back to the beginning of the story and meet the man responsible for Coca-Cola’s big ... Show More
41m 20s
Aug 2018
Coke vs Pepsi - Cocaine is King | 1
In turn of the century Atlanta, pharmacist John Pemberton has invented a dynamite health tonic with some secret ingredients his customers can’t get enough of. There’s only one problem. With the city about to go dry, the temperance authorities are coming for him. Pemberton needs t ... Show More
25m 48s