Was Florentine friars’ fatigue-fighting elixir a precursor to Coca-Cola?

Source: www.theguardian.com · Section: headlines · Bias: Center-Left · Published: Thu, 30 Jul 2026 07:00:55 GMT

Document believed to be from 19th century details recipe using Bolivian coca leaves, kola nuts and wineAn 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 famous US soft drink, Coca-Cola.Father Manuel Russo, rector of the San Marco convent, said he stumbled across the yellowed document, a sort-of promotional flyer, while sorting out the archives. Continue reading...

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