Is it the ‘real thing’ or a fake?
Every manufacturer has a “secret” cola formula for flavor. Supposedly only three people in the world know the formula for Coca-Cola syrup. There are rumors it may contain trace amounts of coca and kola extract, but really the syrup is a mixture of cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and lime juice.
Make your own synthetic cola as follows:
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon bottled lime juice
1/2 cup club soda
Mix well and add ice.
This will look very different than real cola. Blindfold your friend and have him or her try to tell which is your synthetic cola. Be sure they have plenty of ice in them. You may need to vary the amounts of sugar and lime juice a bit until your cola is as sweet as real cola. It will be interesting as you vary the ingredients little by little until you are able to match very closely the taste of real cola. (This recipe only makes 1/2 cup, so vary the amounts as necessary for larger quantities.)