The wine, which is still manufactured using many of the same ingredients, is based on a traditional recipe from France.
The Benedictine monks at Buckfast Abbey first made the tonic wine in the 1890s.
It was originally sold in small quantities as a medicine using the slogan "Three small glasses a day, for good health and lively blood".

In 1927, the Abbey lost its licence to sell wine.
As a result, the Abbot allowed wine merchants to distribute on behalf of the Abbey.
At the same time, the recipe was changed to be less of a patent medicine and more of a medicated wine.

The wine, which comes in distinct brands depending on the market, has achieved popularity in working class, student, and bohemian communities in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
In the Republic of Ireland, Buckfast is packaged in a darker bottle, has a slightly lower alcoholic strength, and lacks the vanillin flavouring present in the British version.
Buckfast sold in Northern Ireland (where it has been nicknamed "Lurgan champagne") is the same as that sold in the rest of the UK.
The wine, which is still manufactured using many of the same ingredients, is based on a traditional recipe from France. The Benedictine monks at Buckfast Abbey first made the tonic wine in the 1890s. It was originally sold in small quantities as a medicine using the slogan "Three small glasses a day, for good health and lively blood".
In 1927, the Abbey lost its licence to sell wine. As a result, the Abbot allowed wine merchants to distribute on behalf of the Abbey. At the same time, the recipe was changed to be less of a patent medicine and more of a medicated wine.
The wine, which comes in distinct brands depending on the market, has achieved popularity in working class, student, and bohemian communities in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, Buckfast is packaged in a darker bottle, has a slightly lower alcoholic strength, and lacks the vanillin flavouring present in the British version. Buckfast sold in Northern Ireland (where it has been nicknamed "Lurgan champagne") is the same as that sold in the rest of the UK.
Buckfast Tonic Wine