Annex Craft Cola Recipe

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar fully dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer.

Add lime zest, orange zest, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, sliced ginger, and dried bitter orange peel to the pan. Reduce heat to low and let the mixture simmer gently for 8–10 minutes to infuse aromatics. Do not boil vigorously; keep a gentle simmer so flavors meld without burning the sugar.

Remove the pan from heat and allow the syrup to steep for 20–30 minutes, covered, to deepen flavor. Taste after 20 minutes and steep longer if you prefer stronger spice/citrus notes.

Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a heat-proof container, pressing on solids to extract flavor. Discard solids.

Stir in vanilla extract while the syrup is still warm. Let syrup cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. This yields approximately 1 to 1 1/4 cups of Annex craft cola syrup; store refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Build the Drink

Fill a highball or Collins glass with ice. Add 1.5 oz (3 tbsp) dark rum, 1.5 oz of the chilled Annex craft cola syrup, and 0.5 oz fresh lime juice directly over the ice.

Top with approximately 3 oz cold soda water. Gently stir 6–8 times with a bar spoon to combine without flattening carbonation.

Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge and an expressed orange twist (pinch the twist to release oils and wipe around the rim, then drop into the drink). Optionally tuck a small cinnamon stick in as additional garnish.

Serve immediately with a straw if desired. Adjust sweetness or cola intensity by adding 0.25–0.5 oz more syrup for a sweeter/stronger cola flavor or reduce syrup for a brighter, lighter drink.