Making soda syrup at home is very easy and this cola syrup recipe gives you a natural cola flavour. Perfect to stir into soda water or replace store bought coca cola syrup for Sodastream and other soda makers.
Why buy when you can make your own soft drink syrup at home? This is a preservative-free, colour free and additive-free recipe.
One of the fun things about purchasing a sparkling water maker or soda making machine is experimenting with your own homemade soda syrups.
This recipe was originally made for a Sodastream machine, though I now own an Aarke. Between you and me, I like the look of their bottles better.
But you don’t need a machine to enjoy making soda syrups at home. You can use them with sparkling mineral water or soda water too.
If you have invested in a soda making a machine, then you should have fun and make your own soda syrups. Experiment with flavours. I know that being able to make more adult tasting syrups really appeals to me.
Of course you need to start somewhere, and where better to start than a classic cola syrup recipe.
This cola syrup recipe is based on one I saw in The New York Times back in 2011. They had adapted the recipe from Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain located on Henry Street in Brooklyn. I haven’t actually visited their establishment but they have a solid reputation and a cookbook out on the market as well.
When you first taste this syrup don’t think of this as a Coca Cola syrup or a Pepsi syrup. It isn’t going to taste like either of those two. This has a far superior cola flavour with its own little uniqueness.
You may be quite surprised by the ingredients used in making cola syrup. I know I was. Do you pick up the flavours of citrus, fennel or ginger?
Special ingredients for this recipe
Most of the ingredients used are common, but you may not have come across tonka bean or cassia before. Tonka beans are a wrinkly dried black bean with flavours of vanilla, clove and almond. Cassia is similar to cinnamon but stronger and spicier. Cinnamon can be substituted.
Special equipment for this recipe
You will need a piece of cheese cloth (muslin) to strain your cola syrup after simmering your aromatics.
The beauty of making your own soda and syrups is you can make them as sweet or as strong as you like. A tablespoon of flavouring mixed into a glass of soda water may be perfect for one person, another may like it sweeter with two or more tablespoons. I suggest you start with less and add more if needed.
Sara xxx
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Cola Syrup
Equipment
- Heavy based medium pot
- Muslin cloth
Ingredients
- 2 oranges zest only finely grated
- 1 lemon zest only finely grated
- 1 large lime zest only finely grated
- ½ teaspoon ground cassia substitute cinnamon if not available
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg freshly ground is best
- 1 star annis
- ½ teaspoon ground tonka bean freshly ground is best
- ¼ teaspoon dried fennel seeds bruised
- 2 teaspoons ginger freshly grated
- Vanilla bean pod 5cm length split
- ¼ teaspoon citric acid
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons light muscovado sugar
Instructions
- In a heavy based medium size pot place all ingredients EXCEPT the sugar with 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil, and then gently simmer with lid on for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Line a fine sieve with a square of cheesecloth and place sieve on top of another medium sized pot. Pour your liquid through the sieve, gather the sides of the cheesecloth and squeeze out all the liquid (be careful not to burn yourself). Remove sieve and cheesecloth aromatics from the top of the pot.
- Place sugars into the pot with the liquid. Place on a very low heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Do not bring it to the boil or simmer. As soon as the sugar has dissolved remove from the heat.
- Place cola syrup in a clean bottle and store in the fridge. Will make around three cups.
Tammy Scott
What is a Tonka bean?? Haha I need to google. Who knew Cola was so many flavours in one.
My all time favourite flavour is Vanilla. So I’m thinking a vanilla cola because it’s sometimes hard to find to buy. Oh wait scratch that. I want candy flavours. Skittles soda. All the rainbow.
Shez
With Christmas coming up, I reckon it would be great to have a mulled wine or glogg flavoured soda. All the fun and spice of Christmas, but on ice. And fizzy.
SANDY HORSFALL
IT MAY SOUND A LITTLE BIZARRE, BUT I’M KEEN TO TRY AN ICED CUCUMBER FLAVOURED SODA AS I ADORE CUCUMBERS, AND WHAT’S GREAT IS THAT MY KIDS HATE THEM SO I’D BE ABLE TO DRINK MY SODA WITHOUT THEM PLEADING FOR ‘JUST ONE SIP’!!
Helen Gray
Pink Grapefruit so refreshing and great with Gin for a summers evening drink.
Belinda McLeod
Ultimate flavour raspberry as love it !!
Renee Ballantyne
I love superfoods so any superfoods
Lady Tiffany
Rockmelon and Lime with a twist of Bitters…
Julie taranto
I think lemon and ginger and mint would be wonderfully refreshing
eamond tomaszewski
choc berry would be insane
Catrina Murray
Mango!
Liz Mathlin
Pineapple and pear for a refreshing summer drink.
Sal
The cola sounds YUM!! We have an old soda stream and use it daily. It saves buying all those extra bottles and is friendlier on the environment. We just don’t like the sugar loaded syrups, so mostly just drink carbonated filtered water. Sometimes add juice though. We would love one of the new sexy white soda steam plays 🙂
My suggestion would be to mix ~
Fresh Strawberries,
Fresh Mangoes,
Fresh Mint.
Have it muddled or blended or both!!
~YUM YUM YUM~
shez
How about an apricot and ginger bevvy with the fresh stone fruit that’s just come into season?
[email protected]
Wow, that syrup sounds incredible.
Angela Booth
Oh my! Trying the syrups immediately! The rare times I’m in the mood for a fizzy drink I usually go for one of the Italian flavours like chinotto or blood orange. The “grown up” tastes really appeal in this.
My memory of soda streams is from my aunts house. They switched to the machine after getting Loys home delivered soft drink(anyone remember?). My cousin was quite a character and at age 9 or something he would pretend to get a high from the machine by giving himself a dose of Co2 (mouth right on the aperture – ew!) made us giggle though. 🙂
joyjoyc
Please make anything with lychee in it!
Lizzy (Good Things)
We are loving ours… and I did a giveaway recently too… I’m with you on the flavours… not my cup of tea either.
kzsupreme
Remembering the Sodastream from when I was younger, mum said i wasnt old enough to make one. I dreamt up a recipe and unfortunately never got the chance as my sister broke it!!
My recipe was all the foods and lollys that were my favourite and to make it bubble and fizz was the icing on the cake.
Sherbert bombs
lolly teeth
snakes
red frogs
musk sticks, that were rolled in the mouth to look like a pencil!!
wizz fizz
I called it The corner deli weekly pocket money fab grab!! So my fantastical drink….
Candy Conundrum crush :*
Padaek
Oh goody! This looks and sounds like so much fun! My suggestion would be an intergalactic creamy soda that sings of popping candy stars and rainbow unicorn neighs, spiked with a double dose of Absinthe, and a Maraschino cherry on top – yes, yes, yes! Sounds delicious – heaven knows how it tastes. 🙂
shez
A vanilla, raspberry & pink peppercorn syrup could be very classy for a fun pink drink with a hint of zest!
(Clearly I”m angling for a win here. Or, you know, an early Christmas present. No shame.)
karinas l
Lime, passionfruit and mint. Deliciously zingy!
Linda De
I would have try your recipe.. I get the puppy dogs eyes too, but I say ‘If I didn’t have it as a kid…” but then I remember life was so unfair too.
Anywho.. I wonder would this work, its an italian recipe for sparkling soda. Using sparkling water or soda water with cucumber, orange and lemon thyme. sweeten with honey or/and sugar and the grown ups can add limoncello.
I going to see if i can find this as a recipe on google!!! My mother-in-law used to make it all the time.
Helen | Grab Your Fork
lol I remember those ads in the 80s! And being insanely jealous of a school mate who had one – soft drink on top was a mindboggling concept. Your homemade cola syrup is an awesome idea but have you tried tom yum coke? Normally you add pounded kaffir lime leaves, bruised lemongrass and galangal to coke but incorporating these into your cola syrup would be even better! And I’m trying to work out how you could make scones with strawberry jam and cream in syrup form – your homemade jam is still on my mind. lol.
Gourmet Getaways
Wow, Sara! This is one healthy, spice-packed cola soda syrup! Love the combination here!
Gourmet Getaways xx
shez
I love the idea of cherry cola, but really dislike the fake cherry flavour – why not a cherry cola with a real cherry flavour? Maybe with morello cherries for a bit of a sour hit!
Sara
LOL great minds think alike Shez, I have made cherry cola popsicles using the above syrup. Recipe will be on Belly Rumbles shortly 🙂
Wilaine Souter
I’m hooked on the Mojito Soda Stream syrup which seems only to be on sale @ Christmas. Have stocked up on this syrup to last me thru summer but it really needs the enhancement of bubbles to appreciate the full flavour so I’m saving up for the Soda Stream machine. To win one would be fantastic!
Koji
When I was living in the states, the diner near my apartment sold a chocolate soda that was perfect for summer. Can’t get it here in Australia though.
Jocelyn R
My ultimate soda stream flavour will be ‘Pina Colada’ – imagine having a gorgeous non alcoholic cocktail to sip after work, made without a moment of fuss? Yes please!
Anna
So you mentioned gin in there…. I challenge you to make tonic water to go with said gin! This looks like it will get plenty of use this summer!
Michelle
Ohh I have wanted a soda stream since I was about 5 and a family friend had one! They have always fascinated me.
I’m in to water flavoured with fruit at the moment and fizziness would make them so much more fun.
I’d love to try lemon, cucumber and mint with a splash of bitters!
Emma
Only new to enjoying sparkling water….. however it is becoming a slight addiction!! Soda stream would make my addiction full blown… which I’m ok with (considering I’ve almost given away the soft bubbles!!)
milkteaxx
sara, this is a brilliant recipe, i can see that cola syrup being used in many other things!
I would love to get my hands on the sodastream with summer around the corner, ive got a few gatherings planned so it will come into good use!
milkteaxx
oh and i forgot to mention a flavour! If possible i would like to try and recreate a carbonated version of my favorite tea. A mix of turkish apple, rose and vanilla with a hint of ginger or cardamom.
Jo
I love trying new sodas. Since the big C, I’ve been trying to eat and drink cleaner. Been playin around with different flavors, but my fav is the homemade Raspberry/Orange syrup. All my recipes call for honey. They are dam good. If you want some more receipes to try, you know where to find me. xoxo
Simon Food Favourites
I challenge you to make a Strawberry, Watermelon and Rose flavour which is inspired by the famous Black Star Pastry’s Strawberry Watermelon Cake with Rose Scented Cream. Then you can have you cake and drink your soda to match 🙂
Gaby
I have two options: 1) I would mix lemongrass, sugar and artificial banana flavouring to try to recreate my country’s national soft drink (Inca Kola), which is meant to be lemongrass-flavoured but most foreigners swear it tastes like banana bubble gum. 2) I would use ginger, maple syrup, and lime juice to make a base for chilcano (with added pisco).
Vivian - vxdollface
Oh I’ve always wanted a sodastream! Bubbles, I love fizzy bubbles 😀
I wonder what fizzy coconut water would taste like! Would be great for cocktails ^^
Sue
I bought my folks and I soda streams about a year ago and we love it. I just got the base models which are no where near as stylish. Conveniently, my brother (or moreso, his kids) have been on at me to get them one. I’d happily give them mine if I could win a beautiful new one.
We don’t tend to drink a lot of cordial or squash but I love the idea of a tart gooseberry syrup on a hot day.
Shez
Ohmygosh. Sean and I have just decided that we need a soda stream (mainly because I’m addicted to sparkling water and, like you am completely sick of dragging bottles of water up and down the stairs).
First cab off the rank would definitely be a vanilla, ginger and orange zest syrup. Perfect for mixing with a spot of caramelly rum.