Original Coke was Wine-Based

[Rebel Rose]

Who knew? Well, this being eGullet and all, someone probably did, but it's news to me.

About Coca-Cola

Coca Cola was invented by a Pharmacist, Dr. John S. Pemberton from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. When he first made the drink, it was formed in wine and contained extracts of Erythroxylon cola and Cola nitida (caffeine). It was sold as a digestive aid, a tonic and a stimulant for the nervous system. Dr.Pemberton called his invention "an intellectual beverage".

After the Prohibition (anti-alcohol) era had arrived, the use of wine for the beverage was disallowed, and the drink was re-invented with sugar syrup as a sub for wine. This is the era which renamed 'the intellectual beverage' Coca Cola. it was also renamed 'The Temperance Drink'! the Coke company has had lots of practice in conforming to the prevailing wind, it seems!

From Wikipedia entry for John Pemberton:

The original formula was created in his laboratory as a nonalcoholic alternative to his French Wine Coca in the event that the pending national temperance movement prohibited the sale of the latter. Frank Mason Robertson brainstormed the name Coca Cola for the Coca leaves and Kola (cola) nuts and also for the alliterative sound, which was popular among other wine medicines of the time.

Pemberton was plagued by his morphine addiction and imbibed his cocawine and soda in an effort to control the addiction (both beverages contained coca leaf, of which cocaine is isolated.

I wonder what the original wine formula tasted like? Can I get coca and cola teas or extracts from my health food store? It would be interesting to re-create the original.

[dockhl]

popular among other wine medicines of the time.

Interesting. I wonder what that branch of medicine would be called since oenologist is taken ?

[Don Giovanni]

Who knew?  Well, this being eGullet and all, someone probably did, but it's news to me.

About Coca-Cola

Coca Cola was invented by a Pharmacist, Dr. John S. Pemberton from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. When he first made the drink, it was formed in wine and contained extracts of Erythroxylon cola and Cola nitida (caffeine). It was sold as a digestive aid, a tonic and a stimulant for the nervous system. Dr.Pemberton called his invention "an intellectual beverage".

After the Prohibition (anti-alcohol) era had arrived, the use of wine for the beverage was disallowed, and the drink was re-invented with sugar syrup as a sub for wine. This is the era which renamed 'the intellectual beverage' Coca Cola. it was also renamed 'The Temperance Drink'! the Coke company has had lots of practice in conforming to the prevailing wind, it seems!

From Wikipedia entry for John Pemberton:

The original formula was created in his laboratory as a nonalcoholic alternative to his French Wine Coca in the event that the pending national temperance movement prohibited the sale of the latter. Frank Mason Robertson brainstormed the name Coca Cola for the Coca leaves and Kola (cola) nuts and also for the alliterative sound, which was popular among other wine medicines of the time.

Pemberton was plagued by his morphine addiction and imbibed his cocawine and soda in an effort to control the addiction (both beverages contained coca leaf, of which cocaine is isolated.

I wonder what the original wine formula tasted like? Can I get coca and cola teas or extracts from my health food store? It would be interesting to re-create the original.

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The beverage was named Coca-Cola because, originally, the stimulant mixed in the beverage was coca leaves from South America. In addition, the drink was flavored using kola nuts, also acting as the beverage's source of caffeine.[5] The first serving in 1886 cost US$0.05.[6] Pemberton called for five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup, a significant dose, whereas, in 1891, Candler claimed his formula (altered extensively from Pemberton's original) contained only a tenth of this amount. Coca-Cola did once contain an estimated nine milligrams of cocaine per glass, but in 1903 it was removed.[7

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[Anna Friedman Herlihy]

Tom Standage's A History of the World in 6 Glasses has an excellent account of the history of Coca Cola in the last section.

But as for replicating the original recipe--you'd probably have to go to Columbia for that!

[Torrilin]

I wonder what the original wine formula tasted like?  Can I get coca and cola teas or extracts from my health food store?  It would be interesting to re-create the original.

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IIRC coca leaves are what cocaine is derived from. It's likely illegal to import the leaves or plant, since in this case "derived from" means "chew the leaves" or "make a tea from the leaves". I can't recall if kola nuts contain any controlled substances, so those might be obtainable.