ABSTRACT
The first “soft drinks” were the mineral waters found in nature, and the first “beer” was brewed as long as 6,000 years ago from the grains raised by a society slowly giving up its nomadic existence. The containers for these drinks were crude—wooden kegs and earthenware vessels. Glass jars and bottles followed later of course, but it was not until 1809 that the tinplate metal can was invented by Nicholas Appert, who was seeking a way to preserve provisions for Napoleon’s long war campaigns.
