Joseph Priestley was the first to produce soda water in a Leeds brewery in 1767 by accidentally introducing sulfuric acid into a calcareous solution and dissolving the resulting carbon dioxide (CO2) in a beaker of water. In 1783, the German entrepreneur Jacob Schweppe patented the industrial production of soda water in Switzerland and, from 1792, sold it in England in conical-bottomed earthenware bottles, later made of glass. The torpedo shape could withstand the high internal pressure of the compressed gas. At the same time, the egg-shaped bottles were only stored and transported horizontally or upside down. This kept the natural cork moist and remained hermetically sealed even during worldwide export routes within the British Empire. The proof was a characteristic (champagne) “blop” when the bottle was opened. At the tables of high society, the finely bubbled soda was served in bottle stands. With the first World Exhibition in London in 1851, J. Schweppe’s innovative bottles rose to worldwide fame. At the end of the 19th century, the chapter of refreshing torpedoes ended with the development of high-strength glass blends for stand-up bottles with flat bottoms. #spiritschweppes250