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Advertising bill for the wine Mariani, lithograph of Jules Cheret, 1894

Angelo Mariani or Ange-François Mariani (1838 - 1914) was a French chemist, originally from the island of Corsica. He is most well known as the inventor of the first cocawine, Vin Mariani in 1863. His contribution was to introduce the coca leaf indirectly to the general public. Mariani imported tons of coca leaves and used an extract from them in many products. It was Mariani's coca wine, though, that made him rich and famous. Mariani was also awarded with a medal of appreciation from the Pope. This tonic wine is deemed as the Coca Cola ancestor. Indeed the original composition of the soft drink from Atlanta is clearly inspired from the French cocawine.^[1]

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