[Generic Gourmet Cola] is It!!!

May 21, 2019 7:04 PM

I like cola but I don't like buying it ready-made, for many reasons. I am having a hard time making a syrup that tastes right. Can you recommend a ready-made syrup or, ideally, a recipe, for a very spicy, rich, old-fashioned-tasting cola? The goal here is not to make Coke, but to make something better.
posted by blnkfrnk to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

You could certainly start with this recipe from Serious Eats:

With its herbal citrus notes, this Natural Cola is far more nuanced and delicate than today's Coke, and it lacks that certain tooth-aching sugariness. Its complexity is almost amaro-like—dark and filled with rich, sweet aromatics, a more grown up take on a cola.

posted by bcwinters at 7:10 PM on May 21, 2019 [11 favorites]

Growing up in South Jersey in the 70s, we had something called Drink-a-Toast, a super concentrated coke-like syrup that you diluted to your liking. It's still around as Boost! I remember its being very caramel-flavored.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:24 PM on May 21, 2019 [4 favorites]

You can go open source.
posted by parki at 8:08 PM on May 21, 2019 [2 favorites]

You'll likely be interested in this web series.
posted by fings at 8:50 PM on May 21, 2019

Boost! is really good, I would say it's more citrusy than caramel, but it's been a good few years since I've had it.
posted by so fucking future at 8:53 PM on May 21, 2019

Have you had Moxie? It might offer a flavor palate to emulate.
posted by tapir-whorf at 9:00 PM on May 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

You might try imitating Thums Up cola, which is an Indian brand that has a spicier and less sugary flavor. I haven't been able to find a copycat recipe, but I haven't hunted very hard — with patience you might be able to turn something up, or at least find hints about ingredients.
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:38 AM on May 22, 2019 [1 favorite]

I find a shrub made with a shot of balsamic in soda water to be very cola-y. I got it out of the Homemade Soda booked link in the serious eats article above. So consider this a recommendation for that book.
posted by bfranklin at 6:22 AM on May 22, 2019

I really love the Elixir Fixer line of syrups. They started small (and very local to me), but have recently moved and are working on a national presence. Their Nola Cola is delicious! As with any syrup, you can add to taste - so I generally add far less than their recipes call for, as I don't like things that are super-sweet. Also, the Ginger Ginger makes the best ginger ale with soda stream!
posted by dbmcd at 8:05 AM on May 22, 2019 [1 favorite]

The videos mentioned by fings mention Open Cola and Cube Cole described here.
posted by SemiSalt at 10:36 AM on May 22, 2019

I've been using this to make rum and coke at home with my soda stream. I don't follow the directions as they make the cola too sweet. I like the option to make the cola to my liking.
posted by kookywon at 12:34 PM on May 22, 2019