Author and collector Dennis Smith has written extensively on the soft drink history of Birmingham and beyond. Two of his books, Coca-Cola in Alabama and Kola Wars Birmingham, reveal a city in the thrall of the beverage industry in the early 1900s. Another, Diva Brown, recounts the story of Brown’s attempt to use a stolen formula to beat Coca-Cola in the soft drink game. In this Facebook Live Chat, Dennis will discuss the strange soft drink brands that popped up in early Birmingham — and the sometimes stranger people behind them.