Make Your Own Coke

DaMadFiddler · Post by **DaMadFiddler** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 3:18 pm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,,1832135,00.html

Codenamed "Merchandise 7X", the list of ingredients that go into Coke - 922 million litres of which were drunk in the UK last year - has been kept carefully shrouded in mystery since the drink's inventor, a medicinal chemist called John Pemberton, first wrote it down in 1886. These days it is supposedly kept under 24-hour guard in a vault in Atlanta, Georgia, which is odd considering that author Mark Pendergrast published it in his expos? of the cola industry For God, Country & Coca-Cola (Basic Books) in 1993. The company maintains that this recipe is not the same as the one it uses.

Kate Rich and Kayle Brandon are bar managers at the Cube Microplex, an "alternative" cinema in central Bristol. Opposed in principle to the business and environmental practices of the Coca-Cola corporation, the Cube bar has never served Coke. That doesn't mean there isn't a demand for it. "We'd tried Pepsi and Virgin Cola and various others too," says Brandon, "but they weren't really a positive alternative. They were acceptable, but they weren't Coke. And people really want Coke."

After conducting various taste tests, they felt the preference had less to do with flavour than the power of the brand. Any alternative they were going to offer had not only to taste almost identical but overcome the incredible pull of Coca-Cola's marketing. "Given that most of the Cube's customers come because they like the place's DIY attitude," Brandon explains, "one way of doing that was to make the cola ourselves."

[snip]

Brew it yourself

NB. 1 batch of 7x formula will produce three batches cola syrup, or approximately 54 litres of cola.

Step 1: 7x formula:

Using food-grade essential oils, assemble 3.75ml orange oil; 3ml lime oil; 1ml lemon oil; 1 ml cassia oil (nb. reduce cassia content for next production); 0.75ml nutmeg oil; 0.25ml coriander oil (6 drops); 0.25ml lavender oil (6 drops); 0.25ml neroli oil (optional/removed due to high cost).

Using a measuring syringe, measure out the oils into a glass or ceramic container. Keep covered to avoid volatile oil fumes escaping. Then dissolve 10g instant gum arabic (equivalent to 22ml) in 20ml water (low calcium/low magnesium, Volvic is good) with one drop vodka - Cube uses Zubrowka. (Be aware that total quantity of vodka will be 0.0007ml per litre of Cube-cola).

Place the gum/water/vodka mix in a high-sided beaker - stainless steel or glass are best. Using a high-power hammer drill with kitchen whisk attachment, whisk the gum mixture at high speed while your assistant droppers the oils. Mix in steadily with the measuring syringe. Continue to whisk at high speed for 5-7 minutes, or until the oils and water emulsify.

The resulting mixture will be cloudy. Test for emulsification by adding a few drops of the mixture to one glass of water. No oils should be visible on the surface. You now have a successful flavour emulsion, which should hold for several months.

Step 2:The mixers

This makes two allied concentrates, Composition A and Composition B, which can be stored separately before being mixed into cold syrup with the addition of sugar and water.

Composition A

Mix 30 ml double strength caramel colouring (DD Williamson Caramel 050) with 10 ml water. While stirring, add 10ml 7x flavour emulsion (oils/gum/water mix).

Composition B

Mix 3 tsp (10ml) citric acid with 5-10ml water, then sieve in 0.75 tsp (2.75ml) caffeine. Mix thoroughly using a pestle and mortar until caffeine granules are no longer evident. The mixture may behave erratically, turning either white or clear for no apparent reason. If it goes white, add more water. Pass through muslin or jelly bag to remove any anomalies.

At this point, A+B can be packaged separately and later reconstituted into cola syrup.

Step 3: The cola syrup

2 litres water; 2kg sugar

Compositions A & B

Make a sugar syrup (mix in a cooking pot on low heat to dissolve quickly) using 1.5 litres of the water and all the sugar. Filter if unsure. Mix Composition A into the remaining 500ml water. Add Composition B, then the sugar syrup. You now have 3 litres Cube-Cola syrup or approx 18 litres cola.

Step 4: The cola

As required, make up your cola as a 5:1 mix, five parts fizzy water to one part cola syrup. Cube uses 350ml syrup in a 2l bottle of Tesco Ashford Mountain Spring. This cola recipe is released under the GNU general public licence.

Post by **Roofus** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 3:28 pm

Not really a current event. Slightly too serious for Null. I guess that leaves...

OFF TOPIC!

Post by **Roofus** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 3:33 pm

Oh, and since we're talking about DIY cola, I posted a while back about OpenCola. The recipe looks about the same. Unfortunately, the ingredients are much more expensive than Coke.

Post by **Specially Cork** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:47 pm

Also how is Pepsi not an alternative? I'd say more bars, cinemas etc. I go to over here sell Pepsi instead of Coke.

Covar · Post by **Covar** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:48 pm

coke is better than pepsi.

Post by **Roofus** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:00 pm

I like Albertson's Max Cola.

Post by **Specially Cork** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:07 pm

Covar wrote:coke is better than pepsi.

I agree. I just dont understand why a Cinema would say that people want Coke so much more over Pepsi when I know so many places over here that have servered Pepsi happily for years, and will probably continue to do so for many years to come.

Post by **melancholy** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:20 pm

Covar wrote:coke is better than pepsi.

Except with Taco Bell. I can't stand drinking a Coke and eating Taco Bell food. I'm glad they are owned by Pepsi.

nogginthenog · Post by **nogginthenog** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:25 pm

I don't get the big deal about cola. I mean, it's just brown fizzy sweet stuff. Nothing special. It's not like it get you drunk or anything.

DaMadFiddler · Post by **DaMadFiddler** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:45 pm

To be honest, I'm mostly burned out on soda. All it takes is a couple sips before I'm tired of it. Especially the cheap stuff, like Coke and Pepsi and Shasta and what-have-you.

There are only two notable exceptions to this, and they're both pretty specific:
- root beer. I will *always* drink any root beer I can get my hands on, especially IBC.
- Henry Weinhard's creme soda. Best. Drink. EVER. Cheap creme soda can be REALLY bad, though.

...I'm also a sucker for good birch beer, but they don't really carry that on the west coast.

Post by **pixel** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:48 pm

Any Henry Weinhard's is good.

Wagh · Post by **Wagh** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:51 pm

An ice cold coke after a hot day is the most amazing thing ever.

Post by **|darc|** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 6:58 pm

DaMadFiddler wrote:To be honest, I'm mostly burned out on soda. All it takes is a couple sips before I'm tired of it. Especially the cheap stuff, like Coke and Pepsi and Shasta and what-have-you.

There are only two notable exceptions to this, and they're both pretty specific:
- root beer. I will *always* drink any root beer I can get my hands on, especially IBC.
- Henry Weinhard's creme soda. Best. Drink. EVER. Cheap creme soda can be REALLY bad, though.

...I'm also a sucker for good birch beer, but they don't really carry that on the west coast.

I agree about being burned out on soda. I drink Arizona Green Tea with Ginsing and Honey or Lipton Green Tea with Citrus almost exclusively now, but I will have the occasional root beer. I love Barq's and IBC.

MetaFox · Post by **MetaFox** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:27 pm

Nothing beats an A&W root beer straight from the tap.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:30 pm

Wagh wrote:An ice cold coke after a hot day is the most amazing thing ever.

I agree. Anytime I get a pop from a machine, it is always a coke. Most pop I can stand warm, including coke, but coke has the most amazing taste when it is ice cold.

Jeeba Jabba · Post by **Jeeba Jabba** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:41 pm

I love an ice cold Coke when thirsty. Honestly, nothing quenches my thirst better. Nothing. Once that carbonation hits your tongue and gives that good sting.. Ahhhh.

Luriden · Post by **Luriden** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:03 pm

Coke tastes good, but I really hate the sticky, sugary feeling it leaves in my mouth afterward. I have to brush my teeth everytime I drink one, I can't stand it.

TyBO · Post by **TyBO** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:07 pm

Mr. Jeeba wrote:I love an ice cold Coke when thirsty. Honestly, nothing quenches my thirst better. Nothing. Once that carbonation hits your tongue and gives that good sting.. Ahhhh.

Check's in the mail.

toastman · Post by **toastman** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:59 pm

Fresca.

Post by **melancholy** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:21 pm

something dumb for awhile wrote:Nothing beats an A&W root beer straight from the tap.

Especially in their frosted mugs...oh god, I need one now!