Cocawine
Encyclopedia
Coca wine is an alcoholic beverage
combining wine
with cocaine
. One popular brand was Vin Mariani
, developed in 1863 by Corsican entrepreneur Angelo Mariani.
, a pharmacist, developed a beverage based on Vin Mariani, called Pemberton's French Wine Coca
. It proved popular among American consumers. In 1886, when Georgia introduced Prohibition
, Pemberton had to replace the wine in his recipe with non-alcoholic syrup
. The new recipe was similar to, but not the same as, Coca-Cola
.
At the end of the 19th century, the fear of drug abuse made coca-based drinks less popular. This led to the prohibition of cocaine in the United States, and the removal of cocaine
from coca wine as well as Coca-Cola, though coca leaf remained. The drink itself became illegal in the United States when its other main drug, alcohol, was banned just a few years later.
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
combining wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
with cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. One popular brand was Vin Mariani
Vin Mariani
Vin Mariani was a tonic and patent medicine created circa 1863 by Angelo Mariani, a French chemist who became intrigued with coca and its economic potential after reading Paolo Mantegazza’s paper on coca's effects...
, developed in 1863 by Corsican entrepreneur Angelo Mariani.
Related beverages
In Atlanta, John PembertonJohn Pemberton
John Stith Pemberton was a Confederate veteran and an American druggist, and is best known for being the inventor of Coca-Cola.-Early life:...
, a pharmacist, developed a beverage based on Vin Mariani, called Pemberton's French Wine Coca
Pemberton's French Wine Coca
Pemberton's French Wine Coca was a coca wine created by the druggist John Stith Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola.It was an alcoholic beverage, mixed with coca, kola nut and damiana....
. It proved popular among American consumers. In 1886, when Georgia introduced Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
, Pemberton had to replace the wine in his recipe with non-alcoholic syrup
Syrup
In cooking, a syrup is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but showing little tendency to deposit crystals...
. The new recipe was similar to, but not the same as, Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
.
At the end of the 19th century, the fear of drug abuse made coca-based drinks less popular. This led to the prohibition of cocaine in the United States, and the removal of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
from coca wine as well as Coca-Cola, though coca leaf remained. The drink itself became illegal in the United States when its other main drug, alcohol, was banned just a few years later.
External links
- University of Buffalo "Before Prohibition: Images from the preprohibition era when many psychotropic substances were legally available in America and Europe" Addiction Research Unit