'Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter/Sermons- and soda-water the day after."
Lord Byron, Don Juan
Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) grew up near a brewery in Yorkshire, England, and as a teenager saw carbon dioxide gas "floating" above deposits of fermenting grain. In 1771 this clergyman, philosopher, and chemist began to inject carbon dioxide, what he called "fixed air," into small containers of water uncontaminated by the surrounding air. By agitating the mixture for thirty minutes he was able to cause the water to absorb its own volume of carbon dioxide, and so he created the world's first drinkable glass of carbonated water. In 1772 Priestley wrote a book detailing in part how he thought carbonated water could be used to retard food spoilage and reduce the incidence of scurvy on long ocean voyages. He also wrote a paper entitled Directions for Impregnating Water with Fixed Air.
Priestley's considerable legacy includes writings on the nature of electricity, ethics, religious freedom, and extensive work on the nature of gases, which led to his discovery of oxygen in 1774. He never found the time, nor likely possessed the inclination, to pursue the commercial potential of his carbonated water.
Artificially carbonated water mimicked the bubbles found in many natural springs. It was not until the invention of the soda fountain or carbonated drink dispenser by Samuel Fahnestockin 1819, however, that carbonated water achieved the kind of popularity it has today as the foundation of many soft drinks.
