Anyone have an easy recipe for home made carbonated cola (with a similar kick as coca cola or pepsi)?
With your help, I've solved the home carbonation problem and now endeavor to replace the "cola kick" that is so addictingly pervasive in corporate colas.
I've tried carbonated lemon juice but find the visceral kick isn't as satisfying as that of a store-bought cola.
In a previous thread, folks mentioned the "caffeine", or "high-fructose corn syrup" (aka HFCS) might be the ingredients in the manufactured colas which provide that addictively satisfying kick ... hence my endeavor to find a home kitchen cola recipe.
As for ingredients, it seems two no brainers are the caffeine powders and the HFCS, both of which appear to be mail orderable if not in the local stores, however, this open source recipe for homemade cola (licensed under the GNU General Public License) doesn't seem to use either:
- 3.50 mL orange oil
- 1.00 mL lemon oil
- 1.00 mL nutmeg oil
- 1.25 ml cassia (cinnamon) oil
- 0.25 mL coriander oil
- 0.25 mL neroli oil (similar to petitgrain, bergamot, or bitter orange oil)
- 2.75 mL lime oil
- 0.25 mL lavender oil
- 10.0 g food-grade, NOT ART-GRADE gum arabic (thickener)
- 3.00 mL water
Which is the "essential" ingredient in the above that gives it the satisfying cola kick you find in store-bought colas? (Note: Snopes thinks it the leaf ...