A soft drink  is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a sugar substitute (in the case of diet drinks), or some combination of these. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives, and/or other ingredients.

Within a decade of the invention of carbonated water by Joseph Priestley in 1767, inventors in Britain and in Europe had used his concept to produce the drink in greater quantities, with one such inventor, J. J. Schweppe, forming Schweppes in 1783 and selling the world's first bottled soft drink.[1][2] Soft drink brands introduced in the 19th century include R. White's Lemonade in 1845, Dr Pepper in 1885, and Coca-Cola in 1886.