John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist, created Coca-Cola in 1886 as a nerve tonic and morphine substitute. This preparation captures the legitimate part of his formula — kola nut’s natural caffeine, ginger, and citrus — without the cocaine that was removed around 1903.
Ingredients (makes about 2 1/2 cups syrup)
- 4 tablespoons kola nut powder
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
- Zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime (no white pith)
- 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
- 1 cup raw cane sugar, 2 cups filtered water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, pinch of sea salt
- Sparkling water, to serve
Method
- Combine kola nut powder, ginger, both zests, and water in a small pot. Simmer gently 20 minutes.
- Strain through cheesecloth, pressing solids firmly.
- Return liquid to the pot, add sugar and vanilla seeds. Heat until dissolved, simmer 5 more minutes.
- Remove from heat, add lemon juice and salt, cool completely.
- To serve: combine 2 tablespoons syrup with 8 oz sparkling water over ice.
Kola nut is one of the longest-used natural stimulants in the world, with a caffeine content comparable to coffee. Refrigerate syrup up to 2 weeks; shake before using.
This recipe is one of twenty in The Forgotten Apothecary — our full digital cookbook of pharmacy-counter tonics, switchels, oxymels, and healing syrups.