The Capitol has been used to advertise goods as varied as plumbing fixtures and life insurance. It is unknown why William Allen named his invigorating tonic for the legislative branch, but he used the tagline “The Great American Tonic” and an image of the Capitol to associate it with the institution. The bitters themselves were part of a long tradition of medicinal drinks that contained herbs and, by the late 19th century, a strong dose of alcohol. One 1916 report on such concoctions described Congress Bitters as “sugar and alcohol . . . A fraud of the worst type.”
