Making things from scratch is always a fun way to spend the afternoon. There’s something special about being in the kitchen with an exciting new project. If you’re a huge cola fan, it’s worth making it yourself at least once.
Here are our two favorite cola recipes for you to try out. Whether or not they’re as good as our sparkling CBD soda...well, that’s for you to decide!
Natural Cola
Are you a health freak? Even people who eat clean like soda! Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this natural cola recipe.
- Water
- Lemon
- Lime
- Oranges
- Cinnamon sticks
- Dried orange peel
- Coriander seeds
- Nutmeg
- Sugar
- Browning sauce
- Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine your quart of water, lime zest, lemon zest, orange zest, bitter orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coriander in a big saucepan. Whisk it all together. Stir two pounds of sugar in and bring it to a boil. Stir until all the sugar dissolves, boiling for one minute.
- Take it off the heat and stir in orange, lime, and lemon juices. Also add the vanilla and browning sauce.
- Let it cool and strain it. It’ll stay good in the fridge for as long as two weeks.
- To mix it with seltzer, add ½ of a cup of your cola syrup to a tall glass. Then add 1 ½ cups of seltzer and stir it until it’s blended together. Serve with ice.
- To carbonate it with a siphon, mix 3 ¼ cups of water and ¾ cups of the cola syrup in a one-quart siphon. Add CO2 based on the directions. Now it can be stored for up to five days in the siphon in the fridge. Serve in tall glasses with ice.
This natural cola has a fruity, tangy flavor while still staying rich thanks to the cinnamon sticks and browning sauce. You can adjust how much citrus you want to add based on your personal preferences.
Secret Recipe
For this secret recipe, let’s go over the ingredients in a little more detail.
Kola nut powder was a star original ingredient in many colas and naturally contains caffeine. You can still find kola nut powder in health food stores. It varies in strength so read the label. It adds a lifting flavor to the cola.
Brown sugar is also known as light brown sugar. It creates the beautiful caramel tone that cola is famous for. You can substitute for dark brown sugar if you want to. White sugar can be used too, but the cola won’t be as dark.
White sugar sweetens up your cola. You can adjust the amount of sugar based on how sweet you like your cola to be.
Citrus fruits add a bite to the cola with their zest and juices.
Cinnamon is a staple ingredient and the cola flavor wouldn’t be the same without it.
Ginger adds a nice zing. It’s best to use fresh ginger to get the full warmth, but ground ginger works too.
Nutmeg can be used fresh or ground.
Vanilla can be real, imitation essence, or a vanilla pod.
Citric acid adds extra acidity and the classic cola mouth feel.
Instructions
- Combine white sugar, brown sugar, and water in a medium saucepan.
- Add ginger, nutmeg, kola nut powder, cinnamon, and coriander.
- Use medium-high heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Once it starts to boil, turn it down all the way to low and simmer it for 20 minutes. Keep the lid on and stir every once in a while.
- Take it off the heat and let it cool. Add orange, lime, and lemon juice and zest. Add citric acid and vanilla. Stir.
- Put the lid back on and leave it in the fridge for 2-4 hours so the flavors deepen. Put something beneath the pot in the fridge so it doesn’t hurt your shelf. You can also pour the mixture into a container instead.
- Once it’s chilled, use a cheesecloth to strain it. Chill it in the fridge in an airtight container until you serve it.
- To serve it, add some ice to a glass. Fill it halfway with cola and finish it off with seltzer. Adjust the ratio as desired.
The kola nut powder in this recipe really brings it to the next level and is definitely the star of the show. You won’t find it in most cola recipes- that’s why this one is a secret!
Final Thoughts
Making your own cola can be a fun adventure, especially if you like to make things from scratch. It can be rewarding to turn a pile of ingredients into something delicious!
But if you’re not looking to go through all the trouble of buying ingredients and dirtying pots and pans, our CBD drinks are a great alternative.
Anyway, nothing will beat our sparkling CBD soda. Try as you might, no recipe is as perfected as ours.
Plus we add 20 mg premium-grade Broad Spectrum Hemp extract to our cola. And we only source the finest ingredients! Everything about our cola is designed to give you the classic American taste that you know and love.
With a full flavor and spiced top notes, our cola has that beloved crisp finish that makes or breaks a good cola.
Try one of our CBD Sparkling Colas and you’ll see why no recipe will ever come close!