Who doesn’t like cola? This is a great mixer or addition to a glaze.
Mechanic
A concentrated syrup of citrus oils, warm spices, and caramel notes that forms the flavour base of a homemade cola. Gum arabic is the traditional emulsifier that gives cola its characteristic mouthfeel; it’s optional but worth including. The browning sauce adds the dark colour without bitterness.
Ingredients
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- zest and juice of 2 oranges
- 3 large cinnamon sticks (12 cm / 5 in), broken into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons dried bitter orange peel
- 2 teaspoons coriander seed
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon gum arabic (optional)
- 900 g (2 lb) sugar
- 60 ml browning sauce (such as Kitchen Bouquet)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- small amount of ascorbic acid or additional lemon juice (to taste)
- 10 ml neutral alcohol, such as vodka (optional; see Notes)
Method
Combine the sugar with 900 ml water in a saucepan. Add the cinnamon, bitter orange peel, coriander seed, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer 10 minutes.
Add the citrus zests and juice. Steep off heat, covered, for 20 minutes.
Strain through a fine sieve. If using gum arabic, whisk it into 2 tbsp of the warm syrup until smooth, then stir it back in; added straight to the pot, it clumps. While the syrup is still warm, stir in the browning sauce, vanilla, alcohol, and ascorbic acid.
Cool completely before bottling.
To serve
Mix 30–45 ml syrup per 300 ml of cold carbonated water. Adjust the ratio to taste.
Notes
- Bitter orange peel is available dried at specialty and Middle Eastern grocers.
- Gum arabic dissolves best in warm liquid; add it while the syrup is still hot.
- The alcohol helps preserve the syrup. Vanilla extract already contains some, so you can skip it.