History of the Soda Fountain

Jacob Schweppe's Apparatus


Jacob Schweppe first discovered the secret behind producing carbonated beverages on a commercial scale. So he started his “Geneva-System”. It consisted of a container which enclosed an agitator which generated carbon dioxide from a mixture of chalk and sulphuric acid. The gas was then passed through water into a gasometer. With the aid of a pump the gas was then conveyed into a closed wooden carbonating vessel where it was dissolved in water under pressure with the assistance of an agitator. This apparatus was the first to make practical use of a compressing pump.



A Partnership formed in 1790, between Jacob Schweppe, his engineer Nicholas Paul and Paul’s father Jacques Paul. Henry Albert Gosse, and Nicolas Gosse, a pharmacist. Previously the artificial waters had been made from non-distilled water. The new firm proposed to use only distilled water and to manufacture in addition to Seltzer and Spa Water the waters of Pyrmont, Bussang, Courmayeur, Vals, Seidschutz, Balarac, Passay and other mineral waters. As well as expanding the range of waters, it was decided to expand the range of operations and a decision was taken to start a factory in London.

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