Birth of the Soda Fountain
The stomach soothing nature of these effervescent waters made them a regularly prescribed treatment for dyspepsia or indigestion. The lack of side-effects from a glass of soda water, unlike many other medicines of the time, helped motivate researchers to discover, and recreate, how these gas bubbles dissolved in water.
The foundation for man-made carbonated water starts with Englishman, Joseph Priestley, in 1767. The first discovery was infusing water with carbon dioxide by placing water over a fermenting mash. The carbon dioxide given off by the yeast dissolved in the pure water suspended over top. This would have been very weakly carbonated, but sufficient to realize that it was possible. His research led him to publish the book “Impregnating Water with Fixed Air” in 1772.
In 1783, German born Johann Jacob Schweppe used this information to invent a device to create artificially carbonated water. He sold his company in 1799, but his name is still prevalent today as the Schweppes Company.
Artificially carbonated waters quickly caught the attention of the public. Given the medicinal properties ascribed to mineral water, the idea of being able to recreate mineral waters was compelling. Making these waters available to everyone—by adding formulated salt mixtures that mimicked mineral waters from around the world was desirable for businessmen and physicians alike. These artificial waters eventually transformed into flavored soda when businesses started adding flavours and sugar to the soda compositions.
At the turn of the 19th century, chemists continued experimenting with methods of impregnating carbon dioxide gas in water. It still hadn’t achieved a level of efficiency that made wide distribution possible. However, it was becoming fashionable to have soda water at home.
Improvements continued until Charles Plinth invented the soda syphon in 1813. This syphon allowed portions of water to be dispensed, while retaining carbonation in the unused portion.
Aside from yeast or mixing sodium bicarbonate with an acid in a sealed bottle, there was no cheap and efficient method for the user to artificially carbonate water. This problem wouldn’t be solved until 1832 when a British born inventor, named John Mathews, created an apparatus to artificially carbonate water in quantities suitable for a drugstore or street vendor.
Mathews’ fountain designs were primitive but functional. They consisted of a lead lined chamber where sulphuric acid and powdered marble (calcium carbonate) were mixed to produce carbon dioxide. The generated gas was purified and then sent to a tank of cool water. The tank was manually swished around for thirty minutes or more, to help the gas dissolve, and then piped to the dispensing tap. These units were sold as bottling systems and fountains. Used as a fountain it was revolutionary in terms of efficiency.
It is estimated that New York City had over 670 soda draught fountains in 1836.