Coca‑Cola moves its secret formula
Vault housing the secret recipe for Coca‑Cola goes on display in Atlanta
As the cornerstone of our 125th birthday celebrations, The Coca‑Cola Company has moved its secret formula for Coca‑Cola to a new home at the World of Coca‑Cola in Atlanta.
For the first time in history, the vault containing the secret recipe will be visible to the public in a permanent exhibit called The Vault of the Secret Formula – open from 8th December, 2011.
Watch our video to see Muhtar Kent, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca‑Cola Company, place the secret formula in its new home:
A short history of the Coca‑Cola secret formula
- Up until now, Coca‑Cola’s secret recipe had been housed in the same place for 86 years – a vault at SunTrust Bank in downtown Atlanta. After Dr John S Pemberton invented Coca‑Cola in 1886, the formula was kept secret, only shared with a small group and not written down.
- In 1891, Asa Candler became the sole proprietor of Coca‑Cola after purchasing the rights to the business. Then, in 1919, Ernest Woodruff and a group of investors bought the company from Candler and his family. To finance the purchase, Woodruff arranged a loan – and as collateral, he provided documentation of the formula by asking Candler’s son to commit the recipe to paper. This was placed in a vault in Guaranty Bank in New York until the loan was repaid in 1925, at which point Woodruff reclaimed the secret formula and returned it to Atlanta.
- Visitors to the World of Coca‑Cola can now feel closer than ever to the secret formula. At The Vault of the Secret Formula exhibit, guests will learn about the most closely guarded secret in trade history.
“The move of the Coca‑Cola secret formula is a historic moment for the Company,” said Phil Mooney, Director of Archives at The Coca‑Cola Company, at the launch of The Vault of the Secret Formula.
Muhtar Kent commented, “This is a special day in Coca‑Cola history, and the perfect culmination to our 125th anniversary celebrations this year. By sharing this secret formula experience with our consumers, we celebrate both the rich history of the brand’s beginnings and the moments of refreshment and happiness to come for future generations. This is yet another way we are recognising and thanking everyone around the world who has made the Coca‑Cola brand what it is today.”
Find out more about the history of Coca‑Cola
Visit our Fun facts infographic for a quick look at the key moments in Coca‑Cola’s long history, and read our Coca‑Cola bottles article for the lowdown on how we developed our iconic contour packaging.
