**** DONE DIY Cola (Part 2)                                                                :diy:blog:
CLOSED: [2025-09-07 Sun 17:51]
:PROPERTIES:
:CREATED:  [2025-09-07 Sun 15:29]
:ID:       2025-09-07-DIY-Cola-Part-2
:END:
:LOGBOOK:
- State "DONE"       from "TODO"       [2025-09-07 Sun 17:51]
:END:

In 2022, I blogged about [[id:2022-01-16-DIY-Soft-Drinks][our first approach to produce soft drinks
like Cola, Fanta, Sprite on our own]]. This is an add-on article which
explains an alternative recipe for the Cola part. While the previous
recipe is really good, we wanted to try out a second approach where
[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_abrotanum][Artemisia abrotanum, the southernwood, lad's love, or southern
wormwood]] is an ingredient.

In German, this is called [[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colastrauch][Eberraute]] but it's inofficial German name is
the more fun here: "Cola-Kraut". If you find it in nature, you need to
smell it: it will remind you of Cola.

----------

So here's the recipe for this variant:

- 2 liters (8 ½ cups) of water
- 6 sprigs of cola herb (Artemisia abrotanum)
- ⅔ of a vanilla bean
- 1 stick of cinnamon bark
- 2 sprigs of peppermint
- A small piece of fresh ginger
- 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs) of refined sugar
- 40 grams (about 3 tablespoons) of citric acid
- Juice of one orange, one lemon and one lime
- Peel of orange, lemon and lime (needs to be organic)
- A pinch of each:
  - nutmeg
  - licorice root
  - coriander seeds
  - cloves
  - cardamom
  - lemon verbena (optional)
- 180ml of caramel coloring (optional)

And this is how it's done: mix up the sugar with the water and heat it
up until it boils. Add the crushed spices and the citric acid. Let it
simmer for about ten to fifteen minutes.

Let the whole thing cool down again. Then add the juices, the peels.

Rip off the green parts of the cola herb and add it to the mix.

#+CAPTION: Ripping off the green parts of the cola herb.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 630 :linked-image-width none
[[tsfile:2023-08-05T17.25.06 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Cola-Strauch abrebeln -- publicvoit.jpg][2023-08-05T17.25.06 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Cola-Strauch abrebeln -- publicvoit.jpg]]

Let it soak for at least 48 hours and make sure that the herbs are
covered with the liquid. Stir it up from time to time.

#+CAPTION: All the good stuff while soaking.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 630 :linked-image-width none
[[tsfile:2023-08-05T17.49.27 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - der große Topf mit dem eingelegten Zeug -- publicvoit.jpg][2023-08-05T17.49.27 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - der große Topf mit dem eingelegten Zeug -- publicvoit.jpg]]

Remove the non-liquid parts and squeeze out the liquids before tossing
them away.

#+CAPTION: First test of the syrup, still without artificial color.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 300 :linked-image-width none
[[tsfile:2023-08-06T14.32.15 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Erster Colasaft durchsichtig -- publicvoit.jpg][2023-08-06T14.32.15 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Erster Colasaft durchsichtig -- publicvoit.jpg]]

Optionally add the caramel coloring in order to get the black color,
if you like.

#+CAPTION: Adding the caramel coloring.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 630 :linked-image-width none
[[tsfile:2023-08-06T19.28.18 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Einfärben mit Zuckercouleur -- publicvoit.jpg][2023-08-06T19.28.18 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Einfärben mit Zuckercouleur -- publicvoit.jpg]]

Use an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etamine][etamine]] or cheesecloth to filter the result.

#+CAPTION: Filtering.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 630 :linked-image-width none
[[tsfile:2023-08-06T19.32.01 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Filtern des Saftes -- publicvoit.jpg][2023-08-06T19.32.01 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Filtern des Saftes -- publicvoit.jpg]]

#+CAPTION: First test of the DIY Cola with the coloring.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 630 :linked-image-width none
[[tsfile:2023-08-06T19.36.17 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - erste Kostprobe -- publicvoit.jpg][2023-08-06T19.36.17 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - erste Kostprobe -- publicvoit.jpg]]

Boil the liquid again for a couple of minutes. Put it into sterilized
glass bottles while it's still hot.

#+CAPTION: Filling the bottles.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 300 :linked-image-width none
[[tsfile:2023-08-06T19.42.25 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Abfüllen -- publicvoit.jpg][2023-08-06T19.42.25 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Abfüllen -- publicvoit.jpg]]

#+CAPTION: Adding the bottle caps.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 630 :linked-image-width none
[[tsfile:2023-08-06T19.47.42 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Verschließen der Flaschen -- publicvoit.jpg][2023-08-06T19.47.42 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Verschließen der Flaschen -- publicvoit.jpg]]

We've heard that 2 drops of formic acid should round up the taste. We
haven't tested this yet.

#+CAPTION: The 21 bottle batch of 2023-08.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 630 :linked-image-width none
[[tsfile:2023-08-06T20.34.08 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - 21 resultierende Flaschen -- publicvoit.jpg][2023-08-06T20.34.08 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - 21 resultierende Flaschen -- publicvoit.jpg]]

#+CAPTION: The 2025-09 batch with 17 bottles and a nice label.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 630 :linked-image-width none
[[tsfile:2025-09-06T16.28.46 DIY-Cola - fertige Flaschen mit Etikett -- selfie publicvoit.jpg][2025-09-06T16.28.46 DIY-Cola - fertige Flaschen mit Etikett -- selfie publicvoit.jpg]]

The resulting syrup can be mixed with the quantity of water or soda of
your choice: sweet or not so sweet. I personally like to mix it with
hot water in the cold season as well.

#+CAPTION: Rum & (DIY) Cola.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 630 :linked-image-width none
[[tsfile:2023-08-06T20.38.21 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Cola-Rum mit Don Papa -- selfie publicvoit.jpg][2023-08-06T20.38.21 DIY-Cola aus Colastrauch - Cola-Rum mit Don Papa -- selfie publicvoit.jpg]]

Enjoy!