How is Cherry Cola made?

How is cherry cola made?

Cherry cola is a regular cola base with a cherry flavor added. Coca-Cola’s own ingredient statement for Coca-Cola Cherry reads: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors, caffeine. The cherry taste comes from the natural flavors, and the page does not say how that flavor is made, so I will not guess the formula.

Steps in making it commercially (in general terms)

1. Treat and chill water, then carbonate it.
2. Blend a syrup of sweetener, color, acid and flavor concentrates.
3. Mix syrup and carbonated water in the right ratio.
4. Fill cans or bottles and seal them.

Makers do not publish recipes or exact ratios.

When was cherry cola invented?

Coca-Cola says Coca-Cola Cherry launched in 1985. Other cherry colas from other makers have their own histories.

A simple homemade cherry cola

• 1 glass of cold cola.
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of cherry syrup, such as the syrup from jarred cherries or a store-bought cherry syrup, to taste.
• Ice, and a cherry to garnish.

Pour the syrup first, add ice, then top with cola and stir gently so it keeps its fizz. Drinks with more syrup will have more sugar.

What to check on the label

• Sugar: a 12 oz can of Coca-Cola Cherry lists 42 g of sugars and 150 calories.
• Caffeine: it lists 34 mg per 12 oz can. Other brands vary.
• Sweetener type, if you want a diet version.

The CDC links frequent sugary drink intake to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay, so treat cherry cola as an occasional drink.