What Is America's Oldest Drink? The Real Story Behind the First Energy Drink
When you think of energy drinks, you probably picture bright cans with bold logos, caffeine spikes, and hype about performance. But the drink that started it all in America didn’t come with a sports endorsement or a TikTok trend. It was born in a pharmacy, sold as a tonic, and drank by farmers, factory workers, and railroad men long before anyone called it an ‘energy drink.’
The Real First Energy Drink in America
The oldest drink in America that fits the modern definition of an energy drink isn’t Coca-Cola. It isn’t Red Bull. It’s not even Dr Pepper. It’s Kola Krom.
Created in 1876 by a German immigrant pharmacist named Carl Schmitt in Philadelphia, Kola Krom was a syrup mixed with carbonated water, kola nut extract, and a dash of cocaine - yes, cocaine - along with sugar and citrus oils. At the time, cocaine was legal and commonly used in tonics for fatigue, headaches, and low energy. The kola nut provided natural caffeine. Together, they delivered a jolt that workers could feel within minutes.
By 1880, Kola Krom was sold in over 300 drugstores across the Northeast. It was marketed as a "nerve tonic" and "brain reviver." Factory workers drank it before shifts. Train conductors swore by it to stay alert on long runs. Athletes in college track meets started using it for endurance. It was the original performance enhancer.
Why Kola Krom Disappeared
By 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act forced manufacturers to list ingredients. Kola Krom’s cocaine content - about 9 milligrams per serving - became a public concern. Sales dropped. By 1910, Schmitt reformulated the drink, removing cocaine and replacing it with more caffeine and guarana. The new version, called Kola Krom Extra, stayed on shelves until the 1930s, but it never regained its former popularity.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola - originally launched in 1886 - dropped its cocaine in 1903 and rebranded as a soft drink. It lost the "energy" edge and became a sweet soda. Kola Krom, on the other hand, never fully escaped its medicinal roots. People stopped seeing it as a drink you could buy at the corner store. It became a relic.
What About Dr Pepper and Coca-Cola?
Many people think Dr Pepper (1885) or Coca-Cola (1886) are America’s oldest energy drinks. They’re wrong - not because they’re old, but because they weren’t designed to energize the way Kola Krom was.
Dr Pepper was created as a "digestive aid" with 23 flavors, including cherry and licorice. It had no caffeine until the 1950s. Coca-Cola started with cocaine and caffeine, but its formula changed quickly. By 1905, it was more about taste than stimulation. Neither was ever marketed as a performance drink for athletes or laborers the way Kola Krom was.
Kola Krom was the first drink sold with the explicit promise: "Take this, and you’ll work longer, think clearer, feel stronger." That’s the definition of an energy drink.
The Legacy Lives On
Today, no company sells Kola Krom. But its DNA is in every modern energy drink. The caffeine from kola nuts? That’s in Red Bull. The guarana boost? That’s in Monster. The sugar rush? That’s in Rockstar. Even the idea of selling it in small glass bottles at pharmacies? That’s how Gatorade started in 1965.
When Gatorade was invented for the University of Florida football team, it wasn’t called an energy drink. It was called a "sports drink." But its purpose? Same as Kola Krom: restore fluids, restore energy, restore focus during physical stress.
Modern energy drinks just made the formula stronger, added artificial flavors, and slapped on a logo. The core idea hasn’t changed in 150 years.
Why This Matters for Athletes Today
If you’re an athlete or someone who relies on energy drinks to get through training, knowing where they came from helps you make smarter choices.
Kola Krom had one key advantage: natural ingredients. Kola nut, citrus, sugar, guarana - all real. Today’s drinks? Many contain synthetic caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and unregulated stimulants like DMAA or 1,3-dimethylamylamine - substances banned in sports and linked to heart issues.
Studies from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition show that natural caffeine sources (like coffee, tea, or kola nut) deliver energy more steadily than synthetic versions. They also cause fewer crashes and less jitteriness.
So if you’re looking for a clean energy boost, you’re not chasing a new trend. You’re going back to the original formula.
What to Look for in a Modern Energy Drink
Here’s what you need to know if you’re buying an energy drink today:
- Caffeine source: Look for "natural caffeine from green tea" or "kola nut extract." Avoid "caffeine anhydrous" - that’s lab-made.
- Sugar content: Kola Krom had 12 grams per serving. Modern drinks often have 30-40. Choose under 15 grams per can.
- Added stimulants: Skip drinks with taurine, guarana extract, or yohimbine unless you know the dosage. More isn’t better.
- Electrolytes: Kola Krom didn’t have them. But if you’re sweating during training, you need sodium and potassium. Look for at least 100mg sodium per serving.
There are a few modern brands that come close to the original Kola Krom spirit. One is MatchaBar Hustle - it uses organic matcha, kola nut, and no sugar. Another is Runa, which uses guayusa (a South American leaf rich in caffeine and antioxidants) and tastes like a cross between tea and cola.
The Bottom Line
America’s oldest energy drink isn’t a household name. But it shaped everything you know about performance hydration. It proved that people will pay for a drink that helps them push harder, think sharper, and last longer.
The difference between 1876 and 2025? Back then, the drink was honest. It had one job: give you energy. Today, many drinks are marketing machines - packed with chemicals, hype, and empty promises.
If you want the real thing, skip the neon cans. Look for drinks with simple ingredients. Use them like Kola Krom was meant to be used: as a tool, not a habit.
Is Coca-Cola the oldest energy drink in America?
No. While Coca-Cola was introduced in 1886 and originally contained cocaine, it was reformulated by 1903 to remove the stimulant and repositioned as a soft drink. Its primary purpose shifted from energy enhancement to flavor. Kola Krom, created in 1876, was explicitly marketed as a nerve tonic and performance booster with caffeine and cocaine, making it the first true energy drink in America.
Why was cocaine in old energy drinks?
In the late 1800s, cocaine was legal and widely used in medicines and tonics. It was believed to treat fatigue, depression, and digestive issues. Pharmacists like Carl Schmitt added it to drinks because it provided a quick, powerful energy boost. It wasn’t seen as dangerous - until the early 1900s, when public awareness and new laws forced its removal from consumer products.
Do any modern drinks still use kola nut?
Yes. Brands like Runa and MatchaBar Hustle use kola nut extract as a natural source of caffeine. Kola nut contains about 2-4% caffeine and is less harsh than synthetic caffeine. It’s also rich in antioxidants. Most major brands (Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar) use synthetic caffeine instead because it’s cheaper and more consistent.
What’s the difference between a sports drink and an energy drink?
Energy drinks focus on stimulating the nervous system with caffeine and other stimulants to increase alertness and reduce fatigue. Sports drinks like Gatorade focus on replacing fluids, electrolytes, and carbohydrates lost during exercise. They don’t contain stimulants. Kola Krom was an energy drink. Gatorade was created as a sports drink - but both were designed to help people perform better under physical stress.
Are natural energy drinks better than artificial ones?
Yes, for most people. Natural caffeine from sources like kola nut, green tea, or guarana releases more slowly, leading to steadier energy and fewer crashes. Artificial caffeine (caffeine anhydrous) hits fast and hard, often causing jitters, heart palpitations, or crashes. Studies show natural sources also contain antioxidants and other beneficial compounds that lab-made caffeine doesn’t.
