Ancient Cola Recipe Unearthed in Italian Convent

Coke's roots may not trace back to Atlanta alone, with a Florentine convent possibly able to claim partial credit. An Italian friar has uncovered a flyer believed to be from the late 19th century in the archives of Florence's San Marco convent touting a "restorative wine elixir" made with Bolivian coca leaves and kola nuts—an eye-catching echo of the ingredients that pharmacist John Pemberton used in 1886 when he devised the syrup that evolved into Coca-Cola, per the Guardian.

The friars' potion, sold as a fatigue-fighting tonic, was once a top seller at the convent pharmacy, which imported coca leaves via missionaries until such leaves were banned for containing the chemical base that makes up cocaine. "[I] discovered that it was one of the most sought-after products in the friars' pharmacy," Father Manuel Russo told a local outlet, per Euronews.

Still, Russo stresses there's no evidence that Pemberton borrowed from Florence, citing similar coca-based remedies that were common in Europe at the time. "Mr. Pemberton invented his own recipe," he says, adding that he has no interest in provoking a legal spat with the soft-drink giant. The Florentine notes that the unearthed flyer "provides a fascinating reminder that Florence's convent pharmacies were once centers of scientific experimentation as well as spiritual life."