意大利佛罗伦萨圣马可修道院的神父曼努埃尔·鲁索发现了一份19世纪中期的档案文件，记录了修士们配制的一种补酒配方[1]。这种饮料由10克玻利维亚古柯叶和30克可乐果与葡萄酒混合而成[1]，因其抗疲劳功效在当地广受欢迎[1]。这一发现引发了人们对其是否为可口可乐前身的推测，但鲁索对此持谨慎态度[1]。
修士们配制的补酒价格低廉，售价仅为2至6意大利里拉，相当于今日欧元不足一美分[1]。美国药剂师约翰·彭伯顿于1886年创造的可口可乐采用了类似的配方——古柯叶提取物和可乐果混合碳酸水[1]。然而鲁索指出，"彭伯顿发明了他自己的配方，并且没有使用酒精"[1]，表明虽然配方有相似之处，但两者之间缺乏直接证据联系[1]。这种补酒的生产直到1961年古柯叶被全球禁用后才停止[1]。
A 19th-century medicinal elixir discovered in Florence may share surprising similarities with Coca-Cola, though researchers caution against drawing direct connections. Father Manuel Russo of the San Marco Monastery in Florence uncovered archival documents recording a fortified tonic that friars prepared using Bolivian coca leaves and cola nuts—ingredients that would become central to the world's most famous soft drink decades later [1].
The friars' formula combined 10 grams of Bolivian coca leaves with 30 grams of cola nuts mixed into wine, creating an anti-fatigue supplement that gained local popularity and sold cheaply at 2 to 6 Italian lire, worth less than a cent in today's euros [1]. The remedy remained available until 1961, when coca leaves faced a global prohibition [1]. American pharmacist John Pemberton created Coca-Cola independently in 1886 using coca leaf extract and cola nuts mixed with carbonated water—a recipe notably free of alcohol [1]. Russo cautiously observed that "Mr Pemberton invented his own recipe, and without alcohol," underscoring the absence of documented evidence linking the Florentine tonic directly to the modern beverage [1]. The San Marco Monastery, where the friars conducted their pharmaceutical work, was established in 1436, with its pharmacy opening in 1460 [1].