Original 1886 Coca-Cola Formula

Clear liquid pouring into a glass mug filled with ice and pale soda, bottle behind on wooden surface

Original 1886 Coca-Cola Formula

Donnie

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Reconstructed from the formula documented in Everett Beal's 1979 recipe book as published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and subsequently investigated by This American Life in 2011

Primary sources: Mark Pendergrast, For God, Country and Coca-Cola, Basic Books, 2000; This American Life, Episode 427, February 2011; Christian Science Monitor, February 2011; Everett Beal recipe book, 1979, as cited in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Important transparency note: The Coca-Cola Company has consistently denied the authenticity of any publicly revealed version of their formula. This reconstruction is a home approximation based on the most thoroughly documented leaked recipe available. It is a food history experiment, not a claim to have reproduced the exact Coca-Cola formula.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the base syrup:

2 cups white sugar
1 cup hot water — for dissolving the sugar
1 tsp citric acid — the documented acidulant in the original formula
Juice of half a lemon freshly squeezed — lime juice is documented in the original. Lemon is the closest accessible substitute
¼ tsp caffeine powder — available from supplement retailers. Handle carefully. A kitchen scale that measures to 0.1g is strongly recommended. The documented original contained approximately 34mg of caffeine per serving
1 tsp caramel colouring — available from homebrew suppliers and online. This gives the syrup its characteristic dark colour
¼ tsp vanilla extract — documented in the Beal recipe as a base syrup component

For the 7X flavour blend:

60 ml Everclear or another high-proof grain alcohol at least 75 percent ABV — this is the documented carrier for the essential oils
20 drops orange oil — food grade essential oil
30 drops lemon oil — food grade essential oil
10 drops nutmeg oil — food grade essential oil
5 drops coriander oil — food grade essential oil
10 drops neroli oil — food grade essential oil. This is the most distinctive and most expensive component. Available from specialty food and aromatherapy suppliers
10 drops cinnamon oil — food grade essential oil. Use sparingly as cinnamon oil is extremely potent

For the finished cola:

Chilled carbonated water
Ice

Instructions

Make the 7X blend first

Combine the high-proof alcohol with all the essential oils in a small glass bottle or jar. Add each oil one at a time, counting the drops carefully. Seal and shake gently. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before using. This blend can be made ahead and stored in a sealed glass container. The longer it sits the more integrated the flavours become.

Make the base syrup

Combine the sugar and hot water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Do not boil. Add the citric acid and stir until dissolved. Add the lemon juice, vanilla extract and caramel colouring. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Add the 7X blend

The documented ratio from the Beal recipe is 2oz of 7X to 5 gallons of syrup. Scaled for a home batch, add approximately ¼ teaspoon of your prepared 7X blend to the full batch of syrup. The 7X is extremely concentrated and a little goes a very long way. Stir thoroughly. Taste the syrup. It should be intensely sweet, acidic, complex and aromatic. If the oil character is too strong reduce the 7X. If it seems flat add a few more drops.

Assemble the cola

The standard syrup to carbonated water ratio for cola is approximately 1 part syrup to 5 to 6 parts carbonated water. Fill a glass with ice. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of syrup. Top with chilled carbonated water and stir gently. Taste and adjust the syrup quantity to your preference.

Video

Notes

Caffeine powder requires careful handling. It is genuinely potent and accurate measurement matters. Use a precision kitchen scale rather than measuring spoons. The lethal dose of caffeine is approximately 10 grams for an adult, which is a relatively small volume of powder. Measure carefully and keep it out of reach of children.

Neroli oil is the most expensive and most difficult to source component of the 7X blend. It is available from reputable essential oil suppliers including Mountain Rose Herbs and similar specialty retailers. Use food grade oil specifically. Cosmetic grade or aromatherapy grade oils are not certified for consumption.

The finished reconstruction will be noticeably more complex and more herbal than commercial Coca-Cola. The neroli in particular produces a floral quality that the modern commercial product has largely refined away. Whether you consider this an improvement or a curiosity is a matter of personal taste. As a food history experiment it is genuinely interesting. As a commercial product it is clearly less calibrated than 140 years of industrial flavour refinement would produce. Both of those things are simultaneously true.

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