In the archives of the historic San Marco Pharmacy in Florence, a mid-19th-century slip of paper has surfaced bearing the recipe for an "Elixir vinoso ricostituente" — a tonic said to relieve physical and mental fatigue caused by age or exertion. The discovery was made by Father Manuel Russo, rector of the San Marco convent, who told the weekly Toscana Oggi that he stumbled upon an old advertisement for the elixir while consulting the archive. Further digging revealed that the drink was one of the most sought-after products in the friars' pharmacy.
Ingredients that echo a global brand
The composition is striking: thirty grams of kola nut and ten grams of Bolivian coca leaves infused in a litre of alcoholic blend. This is the same mixture that underpins "French Wine Coca," the medicinal compound created in 1886 by American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton, which later evolved into Coca-Cola. The only difference is the absence of alcohol in the American version, a concession to Prohibition laws then in force, which Pemberton compensated for with carbonated water and syrup.
Father Russo told Toscana Oggi that the recipe dates back to the 18th century but enjoyed its widest circulation between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During the period when Florence served as Italy's capital (1865–1871), it was not uncommon for officials and office workers to stop at the San Marco convent during breaks to sip the tonic. The rector noted that the recipe, along with original labels and empty bottles, highlights the advanced pharmaceutical tradition of the Dominican friars.
There is no definitive proof linking the Florentine elixir to Pemberton's creation. As Father Russo acknowledged, what remains is a series of coincidences that arouse curiosity about the history of one of the world's most famous drinks. The discovery adds a new chapter to the ongoing debate over Coca-Cola's true origins, a debate that has also involved a small town in Spain.
In Aielo de Malferit, a town in the Valencian Community, a very similar syrup called "Nuez de Cola Coca" was produced in the 19th century and is still made today. Originally named "Anís Celestial," it was created by the Aielo Liquor Factory, founded in 1880 by three friends: Bautista Aparici, Ricardo Sanz, and Enrique Ortiz. Their liqueurs won prizes at international events, including the 1889 Paris World's Fair and a drinks competition in Philadelphia in 1885 — just one year before Coca-Cola's official birth.
Juan Juan Micó, the factory's current owner, told the BBC that Aparici frequently travelled to the United States to open new markets. After a blight destroyed local vineyards, Aparici brought back a more resistant American vine, still used today. In return, he left bottles of Nuez de Cola Coca. There is no further evidence of a direct link between Aparici and Pemberton, but the timing is suggestive. The following year, Pemberton created "French Wine Coca," which would become Coca-Cola.
The Aielo liquor factory changed hands over the years and, after being requisitioned during the Spanish Civil War, crossed paths again with the US multinational in 1953. When Coca-Cola arrived in Spain, it realised that a similar drink was hindering its expansion and bought the patent. Nuez de Cola Coca continues to be produced in its alcoholic version, and in Aielo de Malferit the question lingers: what if Coca-Cola really originated in a small town in the province of Valencia?
The Florentine discovery and the Spanish claim together underscore how Europe's pharmaceutical and culinary traditions may have influenced global consumer products. For those interested in exploring Europe's craft heritage, train routes to traditional craft towns offer a way to discover similar stories of local innovation. Meanwhile, Italy's current political and economic challenges, such as rising petrol prices and delays on a major defence loan, continue to dominate headlines, but the country's rich history of artisanal and pharmaceutical ingenuity remains a source of fascination.
