Cord Jefferson
Senior Editor
Save for maybe the seasoning of Kentucky Fried Chicken, no beloved American flavor is guarded more closely than the original recipe of Coca-Cola. That's probably why the team behind the radio program This American Life was stunned to find what looked to be that very recipe published openly in a decades-old newspaper article. More shocked was the food historian TAL interviewed, who said it's very likely the recipe is authentic.
Here, the formula for Coca-Cola Classic, complete with the ultra-secret "7X flavor" that makes Coke so unique:
Standard ingredients:
Fluid extract of Coca: 3 drams
USP Citric acid: 3 oz
Caffeine: 1 oz
Sugar: 30 (unclear quantity)
Water: 2.5 gal
Lime juice: 2 pints, 1 quart
Vanilla: 1 oz
Caramel: 1.5 oz or more for color
The secret 7X flavor (use 2 oz of flavor to 5 gals syrup):
Alcohol: 8 oz
Orange oil: 20 drops
Lemon oil: 30 drops
Nutmeg oil: 10 drops
Coriander: 5 drops
Neroli: 10 drops
Cinnamon: 10 drops
This American Life has instructions about how to cook your own batch of Coca-Cola here. Make your own and avoid all the terrible corn syrup.
