Was Florentine friars’ fatigue-fighting elixir a precursor to Coca-Cola?
An Italian friar uncovered a 19th‑century pharmacy flyer describing a restorative wine elixir made with Bolivian coca leaves and kola nuts. The recipe resembles the ingredients later used by John Pemberton to create Coca‑Cola, though there is no proof of a direct connection. The elixir was popular in Florence until coca leaves were banned, and the convent’s historic pharmacy continues to operate today.
- ▪Father Manuel Russo found a yellowed flyer from the mid‑1800s detailing a wine‑based elixir containing coca leaves and kola nuts.
- ▪The formulation is similar to John Pemberton’s 1886 Coca‑Cola syrup, which used coca extract and kola nuts but substituted carbonated water for wine.
- ▪No documentary evidence links the friars’ elixir to the later soft‑drink, and Russo cautions against assuming a direct lineage.
- ▪The elixir was sold cheaply to locals as a fatigue‑fighting tonic until coca leaves were prohibited in the 20th century.
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| Publication time | Thu, 30 Jul 2026 07:00:55 GMT |
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The elixir was promoted as a tonic to be used to recuperate the body and mind from fatigue. Composite: Supplied by Father Manuel RussoView image in fullscreenThe elixir was promoted as a tonic to be used to recuperate the body and mind from fatigue. Composite: Supplied by Father Manuel RussoItalyWas Florentine friars’ fatigue-fighting elixir a precursor to Coca-Cola?Document believed to be from 19th century details recipe using Bolivian coca leaves, kola nuts and wineAngela Giuffrida in RomeThu 30 Jul 2026 03.00 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleAn Italian friar has unearthed a document from the pharmacy archives of an ancient convent in Florence describing a medicinal potion made from Bolivian coca leaves and kola nuts, prompting suggestions it could have been a precursor to the…
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