Robur Quinquina Apéritif - after Guillaume

Christophe Adrien (Count) Regley de Koenigsegg

”Quinquina” refers to an aperitif made from the bark of the cinchona, a South American flowering shrub containing quinine. Quinine was popular as a treatment for malaria prior to the early 20th century, and was often an ingredient in aromatised fortified wines. While it’s no longer used to treat malaria it is still used as a flavoring agent for various liquors.

Here, Koenigsegg recreates in miniature - measuring only 3-1/8" by 2" - the painter Albert Guillaume’s (French: 1873 - 1942) poster from the late 1890s. A wrestling match has come to a decisive end; the winner is much smaller than his opponent yet he’s triumphant and his chest displays three medals. He points to the brand name above him as if to suggest that his strength is derived from the medicinal liquor. “Robur” refers to Societe Robur-Quiquina, the Bordeaux-based manufacturer of the aperitif.