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At its core, soda is a carbonated beverage flavored with a variety of ingredients, typically sweetened with sugar. Initially, in the 1800s, soda was celebrated as a medicinal remedy. Back in the day, soda fountains occupied drug stores, presided over by soda jerks—who would mix carbonated water with an assortment of dubious medical ingredients. While the health benefits were questionable, consumers quickly developed a taste for these fizzy concoctions.