Coca Cola Recipe

Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer. Simmer 3–4 minutes to make a light simple syrup; do not caramelize the sugar.

Remove from heat. Stir in the caramel color and the citric acid solution (or lemon juice) until fully incorporated. This is your sweet, colored syrup base. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place the grated zests (orange, lime, lemon), sliced ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground coriander, and lavender (if using) into a small heatproof jar or bowl.

Pour 1/4 cup of the hot simple syrup over the zest and spice mixture (reserve the remaining syrup). Stir to combine, press the solids down so they are mostly submerged, and cover.

Let the mixture steep for 30–45 minutes at room temperature, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean container, pressing lightly on solids to extract oils and liquid. Discard solids.

Stir in the vanilla extract (or scraped vanilla) to the strained concentrate. This is your flavor concentrate.

To the remaining syrup base, add the brown sugar (if using) and whisk until dissolved. Then add the phosphoric acid solution (or the diluted white vinegar) a little at a time, tasting as you go, to reach a bright, tangy balance. Typical total acid addition is about 1/2 tsp for this batch; do not over-acidify.

Combine the acidified syrup base with the strained flavor concentrate. Taste and adjust: add a few drops more vanilla if it needs roundness, or an extra 1/8–1/4 tsp citrus zest infusion if it needs brightness. The combined mixture is your cola syrup. Chill thoroughly before using (at least 1 hour).

To serve one batch (makes about 4 cups of finished cola), fill a pitcher with 4 cups cold sparkling water. Add 1/2 cup (approximately) of the chilled cola syrup to the sparkling water and gently stir once or twice to incorporate. Adjust syrup ratio to taste; typical syrup-to-sparkling-water ratio is 1:8 to 1:6 depending on desired sweetness and intensity.

Pour over ice, serve immediately. Garnish with a thin slice of lemon or lime if desired.