Vin Mariani Bottle

In the late 19th century, the most common way to consume coca was in coca wine. Coca is a highly-addictive plant grown primarily in South America. Its leaves, which can come from different species of coca plants, are used to make cocaine. Coca wine is a mixture of coca syrup and wine—a concoction that inspired the non-alcoholic Coca-Cola. Angelo Mariani invented Vin Mariani, the most popular coca wine, in the 1860s. Produced in Bordeaux, France, Vin Mariani made its drinkers feel energetic, a symptom of the stimulating drug in every bottle. The wine appeared more frequently on Americans’ shelves from the 1880s through the early 1900s, and celebrities, politicians, and religious leaders endorsed Vin Mariani across the globe. It remained a top seller in the United States until Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, which required the inclusion of ingredient labels on consumable products. Following the legislation, Vin Mariani and most other coca drinks were “de-cocainized.”

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