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Despite being regularly consumed by billions of people all over the world
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cola isn't a flavor with a widely accepted definition, or even one that's widely known
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So what's the big secret? Well, today we're answering, what is cola flavor exactly
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The class of beverages known as colas owes its existence to a pharmacist. His name was John
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Stith Pemberton. One of his early attempts was an alcoholic beverage called Pemberton's French
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wine coca nerve tonic. Pemberton sold that wine out of his drugstore in Columbus, Georgia until
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1886, when the state passed a prohibition law. Unable to continue selling the original concoction
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he came up with a new, non-alcoholic version. To differentiate it from the original, he decided
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to give it a new name that referenced the coca leaf extract and cola nuts used in the formula
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That name was Coca-Cola. That extract had its own secret ingredient, which was cocaine
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It goes a long way towards explaining why the drink became such a hit
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But the company began removing the cocaine from the coca leaves at the beginning of the 20th century
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Temperance was popular in the late 19th century, possibly because no one realized they were living in the late 19th century
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So Pemberton chose to market his new product as the temperance drink
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That being said he still very much considered it a medicinal beverage Despite ostensibly being a medication it was sold out of a soda fountain alongside other soft drinks and mixed with carbonated water because it was believed the bubbles were also beneficial Those other soft drinks in case you were wondering likely included
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products like Schweppes ginger ale, Dr. Brown's celery soda, Fioravanti fruit soda
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Hyre's root beer, or even Dr. Pepper, all of which predate the invention of cola
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According to its manufacturer, Coke contains carbonated water, sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine, caramel color, and natural flavors
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With the exception of the coloring, all of those elements play some part in the overall taste of the drink
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but obviously, it's the natural flavors that really define its taste. In the beginning, that natural flavor was mostly provided by the cola nuts used in the recipe
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However, cola manufacturers have long since stopped using them, likely due to how much
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caffeine they contained. These days, Coke still uses the coca leaf extract, but now it's mixed with the flavors
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of vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, as well as lemon, orange, and lime citrus oils
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There are a few other unknown inclusions thanks to the secret formula, but those ingredients
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are the main contributors. In short, it's kind of like mulled wine, a spice drink typically associated with winter
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and the Christmas holiday, which fits, considering the brand's century-long history of using Santa
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Claus as a spokesperson. Also, John Stith Pemberton named his initial version of Coca-Cola
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Pemberton's French Wine Coke and Nerve Tonic, so spiced wine is in the drink's DNA
