Coca Leaf History | Agwa Story | Distillation Process | Nutrition | Ingredients | Decriminalizing | Cocaine Technology | Drug War Facts

Coca Leaf History

The Coca Leaf has a long and varied history dating back thousands of years. To its authentic use by the Bolivian farmers for its energy giving properties to its misuse in the production of Cocaine, the Coca Leaf has always attracted controversy. It is as famous for its many virtues as its many vices. Agwa now allows you to enjoy legally the virtues of the Coca Leaf in its many drinks and cocktails.

1. Coca Leaf Way of Life

Erythroxylum (E) Coca, Huanuco or Bolivian coca is the ORIGINAL ancestral variety. Bolivian coca grows best in the moist tropical forests of the eastern Andes of Peru and Bolivia. This variety is the only one of the four found growing wild. Bolivian coca is the major source of commercially produced coca leaves and cocaine. [Rury and Plowman (1983)].

Coca leaves have been chewed by South American Indians for 4500 years to induce a mild and long-lasting euphoria. Anthropologists have speculated that the word coca derives from the pre-Incan Tiwanaku word khoka - meaning "the plant". The Aymara word q'oka means "food for travellers and workers".

It was found that 100 gm of Bolivian coca leaves satisfied the dietary allowance for calcium, iron, phosphorous, vitamin A, vitamin B and vitamin E. The coca leaf was used (and still is) by the Incas, Inca descendants (Quechuans) , Tiwanaku, Amyara and other nomadic Andean cultures.

 

2. The Incas and the Coca Leaf

The Incas in particular venerated coca. They used coca in magical ceremonies and initiation rites; for divination and fertility rituals; and to heal their physical and psychological woes.

Two of the Inca emperors named their wives after the leaf - the honoured consorts were given the plant's sacred title, Mama Coca. The only object ever carried by the Inca emperor himself was a coca pouch. He wore it around his neck close to his heart.

Francisco Pizarro was the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in 1572. When the conquistador invaded South America they initially outlawed coca leaves, but the invaders were impressed at coca's efficacy as a stimulant: "The herb is so nutritious and invigorating that the Indians labour whole days without anything else." The Spanish needed native labour in their silver-mines. Work in the mines was extremely arduous; and taking coca reduces appetite and increases physical stamina. Hence there was a great surge in coca-use and the number of coqueros (coca-chewers).

 

3. Modern History

It actually was not until 1859 Albert Niemann isolated the alkaloid cocaine. By 1868 cocaine had been recognized as an excellent local anaesthetic. And in 1884 Freud wrote about his experience with cocaine in “Uber Coca”.

In 1860 Angelo Mariani introduced "Vin Mariani" a fortified wine drink made with Coca leaf. Mariani and other makers of Coca Leaf Liquors made a fortune from the drink with the help of endorsement by notable persons such as Queen Victoria of England, Thomas Edison and Pope Leo the XIII.

In 1886 John Pemberton, of Atlanta, Ga., introduced a tonic called Coca-Cola which contained cocaine. Cocaine was removed from Coca Cola in 1904 however decocainised coca leaves are still used. Cocaine & Wines & Liquors made cocaine inside were banned in 1912. The drug cocaine is an extremely dangerous narcotic with significant health hazards.

However the Andean culture and the coca plant have thrived for centuries. It is ironic that this same plant that is used as a curative and everyday stimulant in its homeland is the source of so much abuse and misunderstanding in many parts of the world.

LEGEND

God said to the Andean people:
"Guard the leaves with much love and when you feel the sting of pain in your heart, hunger in your body and darkness in your mind......take them to your mouth and softly, draw up its spirit which is part of mine" You will find love for your pain food for your body and light for your mind.

Further more, watch the leaves dance with the wind and you will find answers to your queries.

But if your torturer, who come from the North the white conqueror, the gold seeker, should touch it, he will find in it only... poison for his body and madness for his mind for his heart is so callous as his steel and iron garment.

And when the COCA, which is how you will call it, attempts to soften his feelings it will only shatter him as the icy crystals born in the clouds crack the rocks, demolish mountains.

Facts: Alkaloids

Cocaine, methyl ecgonine, hygrine, tropinone, trans-cinnamoylcocaine, cis-cinnamoylcocaine, cuscohygrine and tropacocaine content in 35 d old (mature) leaves was 0·61, 0·59, 0·68, 0·08, 0·31, 0·55, 0·52, and 0·05%. Respectively. Cocaine, methyl ecgonine, hygrine, cis-cinnamoylcocaine, and cuscohygrine displayed a gradual decline from week 2 to week 36 of leaf duration. Tropinone and tropacocaine were the least abundant of the alkaloids monitored.

 

4.Agwa Coca Leaf Liqueur Today

Today you can legally enjoy the mythical & legendary taste experience decocainised Bolivian Coca in Agwa de Bolivia. The finest hand picked wild Bolivian Coca leaves are shipped to Amsterdam under armed guard where they are first decocainised before being infused with alcohol and 36 other natural herbs and botanicals to enable the maximum effect.

 

Questions & Answers

Q. Name?
AGWA de Bolivia (AGWA for short).

Q. What is AGWA?
A HERBAL Liquor made with Wild Bolivian Coca Leaf hand
crafted in Amsterdam enhanced with 36 other natural Herbs & Botanicals

Q. What effect?
The “AGWABUZZ” is slightly different to the effect of other alcohol. The effect is maximized when the various coca leaf alkaloids are activated with lime to mimic the “oxygen buzz” experienced when chewing coca leaves or drinking coca-leaf tea at high altitude in the Andes; it tunes you in.

Q. What is the Alcohol Level?
30%/60 Proof; alcohol is the vehicle to transfer and augment the 40 grams of Coca Leaf In every bottle that gives you a different buzz.

Q. What does it taste like?
Not unpleasant with a Herbal & Botanical taste like the COCA LEAF which is quite topical.

Q. Why Limes?
It changes the PH in the mouth to activate the alkaloids.

Q. ANY COCAINE?
All the cocaine alkaloid is removed which is why we are E.U. (Narcotics commission approved), FDA (Food & Drugs administration) and TTB (Homeland security finished liquid & label approved).

Coca Leaf History | Agwa Story | Distillation Process | Nutrition | Ingredients | Decriminalizing | Cocaine Technology | Drug War Facts