Pepsi fans are astonished to learn the drink's original name, it's not an easy guess

While many people enjoy their favorite beverages, few know their complete histories. Over the past century, the popularity of soft drinks has soared, with major brands like Pepsi and Coca-Cola vying for market dominance. Surprisingly, Pepsi once had a different name. Its origins trace back to the late 19th century when North Carolina druggist Caleb Bradham created it and sold it in local drugstores, as detailed in the Encyclopedia of Pepsi-Cola Collectibles.

Bradham experimented with various formulas and in 1898, he created a drink that became a local favorite, initially called "Brad's Drink." As it gained popularity, Bradham sought a catchier name for a wider audience. He named it "Pepsi-Cola" to highlight its digestive benefits, similar to the enzyme pepsin, and its refreshing cola flavor. Initially sold as a syrup, the Pepsi-Cola company quickly grew, expanding its product line and merging with other companies, eventually becoming the Pepsi we know today.

Last December, a software engineer Molly White posted their bafflement over Pepsi's original name in an X post. "I just learned that Pepsi was originally called 'Brad's drink,' so anyway I'm going to be reeling from that for a week or so," they wrote. Sharing the image of an article on the internet from where they learned this information, White added in the thread, "I genuinely thought someone named Brad had vandalized this article but nope." This post garnered over 23,000 views and people were quite amused by the name "Brad's Drink."

This post garnered over 23,000 views and people were quite amused by the name "Brad's Drink." "Brad’s Drink sounds like the name of a 90s alt-rock album," said @skullwizard666. "Whoever Brad is can someone find him and thank him for inventing Peak?" chimed in @pepmint_love. "Honestly should have stuck with that nomenclature," quipped @lurker_6969.

Another little-known fact about an everyday thing was explained by a woman who shared the true pronunciation of "karaoke." Korean content creator Yurie, who goes by @yurie.oh on TikTok, pointed out how native English speakers refused to accept the right pronunciations even when it was deliberated for them. In her surprising revelations, she shared the right pronunciation of "karaoke." Having witnessed many English speakers inventing their own pronunciation for foreign words, Yurie said, "The point here is, if someone's teaching you how to speak their language, don't stay ignorant."

Turns out, it's "ka-ra-o-ke," and not "kyaraokee." She also emphasized other Japanese, Korean and even Spanish words that are often pronounced wrong. It was "muk-bang," and not "mook bang," as many commonly say. Also, it's "gua-ca-mo-le," just like how it's spelled and not "gwakamolee." Yurie's explanations left many surprised as they realized how wrong they had been pronouncing these exotic words all this time.