Drink

Cola III

Serves 5 · 30 minutes

Cola is a type of soda that flavored with citrus and spices. The word "cola" derives from kola nuts, a plant originating in West Africa and originally used as a source of caffeine to make this soda. Most modern recipes do not contain kola nuts. This recipe is derived from the 1923 recipe that Pepsi submitted during its bankruptcy filings, which currently exists in the public domain. The recipe has been downscaled to quantities suitable for a home kitchen. Note that consuming high levels of caffeine can be very dangerous. If you are scaling the recipe up or down, make sure you scale the caffein

Suits: Vegetarian, Vegan, Pescatarian. Flags come from what shops, restaurants and cooks list and from the ingredient names. Always check the label. This is not medical advice.

Ingredients

¾ tsp (3.75 ml) 150+ proof unflavored food-grade spirit OR a mixture of ½ tsp (2.5 ml) water with ¼ tsp (1.25 ml) food-grade gum arabic
1 drop petit grain (lemon leaf and twig oil)
2 drops coriander oil
2 drops nutmeg oil
4 drops cinnamon oil
5 drops orange oil
6 drops lemon oil
¼ tsp (0.75 ml) phosphoric acid
¾ tsp (3.75 ml) caramel color
¾ tsp (3.75 ml) strained lime juice
10 fl oz (300 ml) water
10 fl oz (300 ml) white sugar
25 mg caffeine (optional)
Carbonated water as needed

Method

Combine the spirits and oils together in a small cup, mixing well. Set aside.
Combine the phosphoric acid, caramel color, lime juice, water, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then boil until it becomes a thick syrup.
Remove the syrup from the heat, and stir in the caffeine and oil mixture. Let cool.
To make the finished soda, combine 1 volume of syrup with 5 volumes of carbonated water.