Buckfast Products

Buckfast - The Original Tonic Wine 

First a medicine, now a wine 

Before Buckfast was known as being the famous tonic wine we’re all familiar with today, the alcoholic beverage was originally used to make medicine!

The recipe originated from the nephew of a French monk in 1897 and became a huge hit with the monastery at Buckfast Abbey who saw potential in the product but not quite for its drinking purposes but rather for its ‘treatment’ abilities.

But to no surprise, it didn’t take long before this tonic wine was able to rise to its true potential. In the 1930s, harsh licensing laws were introduced as to what was deemed fit for medical purposes and shockingly enough, Buckfast was not considered one of them.

So in order to keep their work alive, the monks had no other choice but to join forces with the wine merchants (J Chandler & Company Ltd) to rebrand Buckfast as a tonic wine, and thus we have Buckfast Tonic Wine was born.

“The Buckie Made me Do it!”

Buckfast is well known for being rather strong. In fact, maybe a little too strong (for some). The saying “the Buckie made me do it!” became a notorious claim for some Glaswegians who found themselves overindulging in the beverage maybe a bit too much.

What does Buckfast taste of? 

Well, aside from one of the main ingredients being caffeine, this wine is said to taste like ‘berry flavoured cola’ and is for those with a sweet tooth! It is also said to have a very strong kick about it (whether that be from the caffeine or the amount you consume is another story).

So for those of you who enjoy the history of Abbeys and monks and want a taste of what all the fuss is about, why not try it for yourself and order Buckfast tonic wine from The Drinks Basket today?