How old is coca-cola? do you know how old this popular drink is? in 1886 a chemist from atlanta, john pemberton, a syrup from cola-nut extract, cocoa leaves, some vegetable extracts, caffeine, and sugar. he ran the advertisement for the beverage on may 29 of the same year in the atlanta journal. he started the syrup diluted with soda-water to customers in his drugstore. that’s how the world famous drink