Monks in Florence stumble on a 19th-century recipe that could shake up the story of the world’s favourite fizzy drink

By Lucy Ramnought • Published: 30 Jul 2026 • 23:00 • 2 minutes readWas the recipe from Italy? Credit:MargJohnsonVA / Shutterstock.comAn old archive clean-up inside a centuries-old Florentine convent has just thrown up a surprise that is turning heads outside of Italy. Father Manuel Russo, rector of the convent, told local press that the tonic was once among the pharmacy’s top sellers. That timing has fuelled speculation that Europe may have beaten the United States to the idea of a coca‑and‑kola tonic. The Florentine monks steeped their ingredients in a litre of alcohol, producing a wine-based restorative common across 19th-century Italy and France.