Coke Recipe

Chill a highball or Collins glass in the freezer for a few minutes if desired.

Fill the glass with about 6 ice cubes.

Pour 12 oz (approximately one can) of chilled Coca-Cola over the ice.

Garnish with a lime wedge or a sprig of mint if desired. Serve immediately.

If you don't already have cola syrup, prepare the Simple Cola Syrup following the directions below and let it cool completely.

Chill the carbonated water and glasses well.

Fill two glasses with 4 ice cubes each (about 8 total).

For each glass, add 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the cooled cola syrup, then top with 1 cup (240 ml) chilled carbonated water. Stir gently to combine, taking care not to lose too much carbonation.

Taste and adjust: add more syrup for a sweeter, stronger cola flavor or a squeeze of lime/lemon wedge to brighten.

Garnish with lime/lemon wedge or mint if desired and serve immediately.

Combine and simmer

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup water, and 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar. Add the orange zest, lime zest, sliced ginger, star anise and whole cloves. Stir gently to combine.

Cook

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugars dissolve. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes to infuse the flavors. Do not boil vigorously — a gentle simmer preserves aromatic oils.

Finish

Remove from heat, stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Let the syrup steep for 15–20 minutes as it cools so the spices deepen.

Strain and store

Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean jar to remove solids. When cooled to room temperature, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.