Why were drinks originally carbonated?

Question

Why were drinks originally carbonated?

Answer 1

Carbonation occurs naturally in brewing.  If the vessel containing the brew doesn't allow gasses to escape than a portion of the CO2 is reabsorbed as the pressure in the vessel rises.  Carbonation gives a "fizzy" taste to drinks that many people like.  That fizzy taste is a slight sting to the beverage you get when drinking carbonated sodas and the like.

To spruce up soda sales, many early soda stands used syrups and carbonated water to make fizzy drinks.  Sweet and acidic, these drinks were better received than non-carbonated juices.  That's why sodas are carbonated today.