Why is Joseph Priestley called the father of the soft drinks industry?

Joseph Priestley is known as the "father of the soft drinks industry" due to his pioneering experiments with carbon dioxide—then referred to as "fixed air"—which he obtained from the fermenting vats of a brewery.1

In 1772, Priestley demonstrated a small carbonating apparatus to the College of Physicians in London, proposing that water could be highly impregnated with this gas using a pump. His design for a "gasogene" was intended to create carbonated water for its perceived medicinal benefits, specifically for treating scurvy and various fevers. Although his medicinal applications proved ineffective, his technique provided the foundation for the commercial carbonated beverage industry.12

Following his work, others such as Thomas Henry and Jacob Schweppe utilized and adapted Priestley’s apparatus to produce and sell carbonated mineral waters, eventually leading to the widespread popularity of soft drinks.1