I’m sure many of you have already heard about this, but it’s Atlanta history that’s captured the world’s attention, so therefore I feel compelled to mention it.
“This American Life” thinks it has discovered the secret recipe for Coca-Cola in a 1979 issue of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
And in case you’re interested, here’s the AJC’s coverage of its own story, gone viral.
The Walrus
AMB
Curious
At Home in Decatur
Mic
Decatur Metro
DEM
Chris M
Fred Boykin
J_T
At Home in Decatur
stearns
J_T
At Home in Decatur
DEM
It’s vanilla. I get it. We have known this since New Coke, when vanilla futures plummeted on the announcement and rose after Classic Coke. You can make artificial vanilla out of petroleum products. Where is the news here?
Mr DM
The link does not work. Coca cola has probably hacked in and severed the link. Thank your lucky stars because as Colonel Bat Guano said in “Dr Strangelove”, “You’ll have to answer to the Coca Cola company for that.”
The recipe:
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
I want to know where Jones Soda and Sovereign Flavors got the Coca to try to duplicate it.
The “This American Life” episode said they just bought it online.
Listened to that episode of This American Life on the way home last night (in podcast form). Great stuff (as if this is somehow unusual for TAL)! Listen to the whole thing. You’ll be glad you did.
And if you enjoy that, our fair state had an entire episode to devoted to it last summer. You can find Episode 413, “Georgia Rambler”, here: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/413/georgia-rambler