You can try adding the extracts directly to a 20 fl oz (590 mL) bottle of cola, but it’s easier to combine the ingredients thoroughly in a separate container.
Use cold cola, if possible. That way, you won’t need to chill the finished drink before enjoying it.
Alternatively, if the extract flavors are already too strong, you can stir in another 0. 5 c (120 mL) of cola or soda water to the drink. You may need to transfer the drink to a larger container, however.
Covering the drink while chilling it will keep it from going flat.
Stevia is a natural sweetener that grows as a plant. Cola stevia is a liquid stevia extract flavored with a generic cola taste. You can find cola stevia and natural cherry flavoring at health food stores, online retailers, and some grocery stores.
Work carefully so that you do not cause too many bubbles to form. You might cause the drink to bubble over and/or make it go flat. Use cold soda water so you don’t have to chill the drink before enjoying it.
The drink will lose its carbonation fairly quickly, so don’t leave it sitting around before enjoying it.
Set aside 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of this simple syrup for your Dr Pepper recipe. Save the rest in a sealed plastic or glass container stored in the refrigerator.
Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the sugar melts and takes on a dark amber color. The caramelized sugar should begin to smoke slightly immediately before you remove it from the heat. When done, set aside 10 minims (650 mg) of caramelized sugar for use in your drink. You can save the rest, if desired, by transferring it to a non-reactive sealed container and storing it in the refrigerator.
Let the caramelized sugar and simple syrup cool to room temperature before you combine the ingredients. When purchasing citric acid and phosphoric acid, use food grade quality only. The original recipe called for hydrocyanic acid, which is not readily available for commercial purchase. Since this solution tastes like almonds, almond extract has been substituted in its place.
Do not stir the drink too rapidly, since doing so will release more bubbles and may cause the drink to go flat before you can drink it. Use cold soda water if possible. If you chill the soda water before you add it to the flavoring ingredients, you should not need to chill the finished drink before drinking it.
Originally, Dr Pepper did not contain caffeine, which is why this supposedly original recipe does not contain caffeine, either. Note that this formula was printed in 1912, back when Dr Pepper was still used as a pharmaceutical remedy for digestive problems. As such, this recipe will not taste like contemporary Dr Pepper purchased in the store. If you want to know what the original drink tasted like, however, this recipe will give you a good idea.
The resulting mixture does not need to be a smooth paste or puree. You only need to crush and combine the ingredients well enough to release their flavors. If you don’t have a food processor, use a mortar and pestle to crush the ingredients. A blender may also work. You may need to break the cinnamon sticks into 2 in (5. 1 cm) pieces or smaller before adding them to the food processor.
Keep this mixture in the sealed pitcher or other airtight container. Doing so will slow the production of bubbles, thereby preventing the drink from going flat.
You can let the ingredients steep for a longer period of time, but the drink will lose carbonation and go increasingly flat. A longer steeping time might produce a stronger flavor but ultimately result in a less palatable drink.
You can seal the beverage in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge, but it will still likely go flat within several hours.
