Who Owns Schweppes?

Schweppes was founded in 1783 by Jacob Schweppe, a Swiss-German watchmaker and amateur scientist who had been experimenting with carbonating water in Geneva. Schweppe developed a practical method for producing carbonated mineral water on a commercial scale, building on the scientific work of Joseph Priestley, who had discovered how to infuse water with carbon dioxide in 1767. Schweppe's innovation was to develop a commercially viable process for producing and bottling carbonated water in sufficient quantities to sell to consumers.

Schweppe initially sold his carbonated water in Geneva, marketing it as a health product with claimed medicinal benefits. Carbonated water was believed at the time to have therapeutic properties similar to natural mineral springs, and Schweppe positioned his product accordingly. The business was successful enough that Schweppe relocated to London in 1792, establishing a factory in Drury Lane to serve the British market.

In London, Schweppe's carbonated water found a ready market among physicians, who recommended it to patients, and among the general public, who valued it as a refreshing and supposedly healthful drink. The company supplied carbonated water to the British royal family and received a royal warrant, establishing the brand's prestige positioning that has persisted for over two centuries.

The development of Schweppes tonic water in the 19th century was driven by the British colonial experience in tropical regions, particularly India. British soldiers and colonial administrators in India were required to take quinine as a prophylactic against malaria, but quinine's intensely bitter taste made it difficult to consume. Mixing quinine with carbonated water and sugar produced a more palatable drink, and Schweppes developed a commercial tonic water formulation that became widely consumed in British colonial territories. The practice of mixing tonic water with gin, which became the gin and tonic, originated in this colonial context and remains one of the most popular cocktails worldwide.

Schweppes expanded its product range through the 19th and early 20th centuries, adding ginger ale, lemonade, and other carbonated beverages to its tonic water and soda water offerings. The brand became one of the most recognized beverage brands in the British Empire and expanded internationally through the 20th century.

In 1969, Schweppes merged with Cadbury, the British confectionery company, forming Cadbury Schweppes. The merger combined Cadbury's chocolate and confectionery brands with Schweppes' beverage portfolio. Cadbury Schweppes grew into a major international food and beverage company over the following decades, acquiring additional beverage brands including Dr Pepper and 7 Up in the United States.

In 2008, Cadbury Schweppes separated its beverage and confectionery businesses. The beverage operations, which included Dr Pepper, 7 Up, Snapple, and the North American Schweppes business, became Dr Pepper Snapple Group, a separately listed public company. The confectionery business retained the Cadbury name and was subsequently acquired by Kraft Foods in 2010, becoming part of what is now Mondelez International.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group merged with Keurig Green Mountain in 2018 to form Keurig Dr Pepper, which continues to own and operate the Schweppes brand in the United States and Canada.