Mainstream Wines

In 1863, the chemist Angelo Mariani (1838-1914) presented an alcoholic drink in Paris that he had produced from Bordeaux wines and extracts of the coca bush. It contained a substance very similar to cocaine and is regarded as a historical forerunner of Coca Cola. The "Vin Mariani" was marketed in Europe and the USA and was advertised as a cure for melancholy and as a stimulant. It was recommended to singers to strengthen their vocal chords. Prominent consumers included Queen Victoria (1819-1901), Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903), whose image was even used for advertising (Refreshes the Body & Brain), as well as the writers Émile Zola (1840-1902) and Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), whose dark story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was largely inspired by the author's experiences with coca wine. Such wines were subsequently produced by many producers in the USA.

Invention of Coca Cola

The pharmacist John Stith Pemberton (1831-1888) in Atlanta/Georgia also became interested in the coca plant. At the time, cocaine was not considered a dangerous drug and did not even require a prescription. In 1880, he produced a "French Wine Coca" based on the Mariani formula. In 1886, after many trials, he marketed the first Coca Cola drink. The name is derived from the original ingredients coca leaf (now no longer used) and cola nut. Initially, Coca Cola was advertised and sold as a medicine. The target group was urban labourers who suffered from...