Globalization of American Food: Soft Drinks

American soft drinks, especially Coca-Cola, also have an increasingly global presence. John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist, developed Coca-Cola in 1886. After Pemberton’s death, another Atlanta pharmacist, Asa Candler, purchased the formula. The subsequent growth of Coca-Cola was rapid, and it developed as a symbol of the United States. The company started selling other soft drinks in the 1960s. Although affected by political controversies, shifts in the world economy, and competition from Pepsi-Cola, by the late 1990s Coca-Cola made up about half of global soft drink sales. The company had started its global expansion early selling the drink in the United Kingdom in 1909. Along with McDonald’s, Coca-Cola is probably the most recognizable brand representing the globalization of American food and America in general, leading to the terms “Coca-Colonization” and “Coca-Globalization.” The quilt, “Coke Covers the World,” by Otesia Harper, which is the Smithsonian collection, playfully attests to this worldwide presence.