What was the soft drink Pepsi originally introduced as?

The story behind the answer

Correct answer: Brad’s Drink. Pepsi began in 1893 when North Carolina pharmacist Caleb Bradham mixed a refreshing fountain beverage he called “Brad’s Drink.” In 1898 he renamed it “Pepsi-Cola,” evoking “dyspepsia” (indigestion) and kola nuts, though the drink did not actually contain pepsin—so options like “Pepsin Syrup” are a common misconception.

Context to remember: A pharmacist named Bradham brewed it—so think “Brad brewed the brand before Pepsi.” Sold at his New Bern pharmacy, it was marketed as both tasty and tummy-friendly, fitting the era’s trend of pharmacists creating sodas. The rename helped position it against Coca-Cola and tapped into popular health claims of the day.