Various brands and flavors of sparkling water are replete on the shelves of grocery stores, gas stations and drugstores. The fizzy water is preferred by some for its effervescence, which can add a certain excitement to hydration. Not long ago, the water was sold in apothecaries, believed to be a healing beverage.

Not unlike the many pseudo-miracle products available today, this phenomenon ran its course and now, bubbly water is consumed for no other reason than it curbs thirst in a slightly more fun way. But back in the late 1700s, the discovery of Scientist Joseph Priestley had consumers delighted with its perceived health cures. These ideas weren’t new; they originated much earlier with Greek and Roman people soaking in mineral springs and “holy wells” for treatment of various ailments. Once the sparkling waters previously reserved for bathing could be purchased for consumption, the market was already primed.

So how did the scientist achieve this carbonated beverage? His curiosity was piqued while living next door to a brewery. He believed there must be a way to impart upon water the same bubbles found in beer. Joseph dripped some sulfuric acid onto a mix of chalk and water, captured the carbon dioxide released from the chalk into the bladder of a pig then bubbled the air through a fixed column. Early drinkers of the sparkling water sometimes found the taste a little off due to its containment in the pig bladder, but they weren’t necessarily drinking it then for the taste — it was the perceived health effects that kept them sipping.

Carbonated water over the years went through a multitude of transformations, including the addition of flavors. Billed as a medicinal beverage, they were named “buffalo mead” and “imperial nerve tonic,” among other things. Sparkling, medicinal beverages eventually gave way to sodas like Coca-Cola, which was marketed as a stimulant for its small but notorious use of cocaine.

Sparkling waters on the shelves today boast countless flavors and carbonation levels. Some estimates from 2019 show consumers spent $2.74 billion on the drink. Ask a carbonated water connoisseur and they’re sure to have a preferred brand. La Croix is one of the highest selling brands on the market. Other brands, as with Liquid Death and pro skater Tony Hawke, are represented by celebrities. Though production has changed over the years (no more pig bladder), the bubbly water is more popular than ever.