Tonic wine cropped up in the 19th century as a type of fortified alcohol that was meant to serve as a cure-all for a myriad of diseases – from debility, influenza, and loss of appetite to cases of neuralgia.
Though many Victorian doctors disputed the fact that the sweetened, extra-strong and often caffeinated wine could do much – if anything – for personal health, tonic wine offered a cheap means of self-medication for much of the population at the time. It’s safe to say that contemporary consumers are under no illusion that alcohol has any positive medicinal qualities whatsoever.
