Tonic wine

In today’s world of healthy living and alcohol being viewed with increasing suspicion by some health lobbyists, it’s interesting to see products which were advertised as being healthy, and good for you, which were in fact fortified wine.

I vaguely remember Sanatogen, a tonic wine which had all sorts of health giving qualities… not that I remember actually ever having drunk any! We saw these old adverts for Wincarnis, another ‘tonic wine’, which were obviously aimed at women, and no doubt having a tot or two of this fortified wine did help some women in Victorian times when they were unable to pursue education or careers that they might seek.

Anæmia, depression, brain-fag… brain-fag? Unfortunately this has a whole different meaning now! Sleeplessness and physical and mental prostration… nerve troubles… convalescence… and 10,000 doctors recommended it!

Wincarnis, originally produced by Colman’s, more famous for mustard, was first called  Liebig’s Extract of Meat and Malt Wine… a sort of Bovril and wine drink… which I am sure would not be very popular today. In fact the name Wincarnis comes from adding the Latin carnis,meat, to wine… Meat Wine… pretty sure that would not be a sure-fire best seller!

it is still produced, but now instead of beef extract it has malt extract, which sounds a little more wholesome to modern tastes! Popular or not, the old adverts are very charming!