Coca-Cola 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.

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Coca-Cola wines

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