Coca-Cola first sold in bottles

Background. Prior to 1894, Coca-Cola was primarily sold as a soda fountain drink. Joseph Augustus Biedenharn, an American businessman and confectioner, operated a wholesale candy company in Vicksburg, Mississippi. His father and uncle owned a brick building in downtown Vicksburg that housed his candy business, providing the setting for the first bottling operations.

Bottling Development. Biedenharn is credited with developing the procedure to bottle Coca-Cola, which had previously not been sold in bottles. This innovation occurred at his wholesale candy company building in Vicksburg. The site at 1107 Washington Street, built in 1890, is identified as the location where this first bottling took place.

Distribution Model. Following the initial bottling, Biedenharn created a model of bottling-distributor franchises. He expanded his business through this model, building his company across Mississippi, as well as in Louisiana and Texas. This approach facilitated the broader distribution of the drink beyond the local soda fountain context.