Soda-pop? Soft drink? Soda water?Â
My family just says âsoda.â Whatever you call it, the soft drink industry is huge. When did New Braunfelsers first get a taste for the sugary yet satisfying beverage?
As early as 1872, Otto and Theo Simon were bottling ice-cold soda at their home. They bought a new ice machine in 1875 and, with partner L. Paggi, they opened and ran an ice cream/soda water parlor until 1881. Imagine how amazing an ice cold soda was back in the days of no air conditioning and dusty streets.
Others soon jumped into the increasingly popular drink business. Dr. Grube teamed up with Bruno Voelcker to start their own soda water factory in 1881 but it was short-lived.