Coca-Cola of the 19th century: a recipe for an unusual drink was found in a monastery in Florence

A 19th-century document with a recipe for a “restorative wine elixir” similar in composition to Coca-Cola has been found in the archives of the Florentine monastery of San Marco. The discovery has sparked speculation that the recipe could be one of the predecessors of the famous American drink.

This is reported by The Guardian .

The abbot of the monastery of San Marco, Father Manuel Russo, discovered a yellowed document while sorting through the archives. It contained a recipe for an elixir vinoso ricostituente , a “restorative wine elixir,” made from 10 grams of Bolivian coca leaves, 30 grams of kola nuts, and wine. The monks advertised it as a tonic for restoring physical and mental strength after illness and aging.

The document is undated, but the publication estimates it was created in the late 19th century. At that time, monks were trading Bolivian coca leaves, which missionaries brought to Italy long before its international ban in 1961.

The publication notes that the recipe bears similarities to the formula of American pharmacist John Pemberton, who in 1886 created a syrup from coca leaf extract and kola nuts. Due to local alcohol restrictions, he replaced the wine with carbonated water, after which his tonic became the basis for Coca-Cola.

“I don’t want to risk a lawsuit from Coca-Cola or anything like that. Mr. Pemberton created his own recipe, non-alcoholic… Besides, at that time other people were also making similar medicines from coca leaves. It was quite common in Italy and France. The only thing I can say is that the San Marco pharmacy had its own recipe,” said Father Manuel Russo.

According to Russo, he also found several empty bottles that once held the drink, as well as labels from pure oxygen, cognac, and refined petroleum spirit.

The Monastery of San Marco was founded in 1436 in Florence, and the pharmacy opened in 1460 to help the city’s poor. According to the abbot, the pharmacy is still operating today, although it has been located in another part of Tuscany since 1995. The original premises have been preserved, and historical documents and artifacts continue to be found in the monastery’s archives.

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