On this day in 1885, Mark Twain’s famous novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in the United States.

The book has been read by school children for decades and is hailed by many, including Ernest Hemmingway, as a literary masterpiece. “There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since,” said Hemmingway about the book.

Just as the tale of Huck Finn has been a part of the American fabric since the 19th century, so have America’s beverage companies.

Dr Pepper was invented the same year The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published by a young pharmacist named Charles Alderton in Waco, Texas. A year later in 1886, Coca-Cola was invented by Atlanta pharmacist John S. Pemberton. And shortly after that in 1893 Pepsi-Cola, originally called “Brad’s Drink,” was created by Caleb Davis Bradham at his drug store in New Bern, N.C.

These iconic brands, which got their start in small mom and pop shops on America's Main Street, remain a vital part of our hometowns from coast to coast. We at Sip & Savor hope you have enjoyed this walk down memory lane as much as have.