First, it's interesting to note that soft drinks don't necessarily have to be carbonated—technically, they're any flavored non-alcoholic beverage. An alcoholic beverage is hard, whereas a non-alcoholic beverage is soft. Although the makers of Schweppes tonic water, which was invented in 1783, claim their product is the world's first soft drink, soft drink history actually goes back even further. In the 1600s, a type of lemonade (water flavored with lemon and honey) became popular in Paris, and Carbonated Beverages followed soon after. Europeans of that time period thought drinking spring water was beneficial to one's health, and they were trying to make fizzy drinks to mimic it.