If you enjoy Makers Mark as much as I do you can sign up at their website to become an “Ambassador.”  It’s mostly a marketing strategy but you get in line to have your name on a plaque which they put on a barrel.  When it’s ready years later they call you up and you make your way down to the distillery to buy your own personal barrel of bourbon, pretty cool!
   I cringe every time someone comes into the bar and orders a Makers & Coke.  I’ve seen worse… 14 year Oban and Coke (I can’t make this stuff up!!!)  I used to think that people wanted to cover up the taste of the bourbon, rum, whisk(e)y, or any other spirit but I don’t think that is true.  It’s obvious they just want to dilute the spirit and it’s possible they are just creatures of habit and don’t want to venture out into other drinks.  I finally conceded to the fact that people like the taste or they wouldn’t order five in a row, so the issue then is the Coke (or Pepsi) itself.
   That is where the problem lies, like tonic water, these commercial syrups and sodas are made with High Fructose Corn Syrup.  I’m far from a health guy but a lot of scientists think it is the root of all evil.  Even if you forget the health issues, it is such a strong sugary taste that it excessively covers up the taste of the spirit.  There are numerous web resources on homemade cola and I have to say that I feel my version is better than Coke!  Like anything, it is a matter of taste and you can adjust the recipe as needed.  I cooked up a batch that I tried with Makers and thought it would be perfect to submit to this month’s MixMo.  Notice the amounts are similar to my tonic water recipe.  This makes creating a Makers & Coke at the bar easy to remember by using the same amounts of spirit, syrup, and soda water as the tonic syrup, or close to it.

 
       Anti-Cola Recipe

       4 cups water
       4 cups sugar
       2 Tablespoons citric acid
       Zest and juice of 1 lime
       Zest and juice of 1 lemon
       Zest and juice of 1 orange
       2 teaspoon ground dark coffee beans (about 15 beans)
       1 teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon
       1 teaspoon coriander
       1 teaspoon cream of tartar
       1 teaspoon unsweetened chocolate powder
       1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
       2 cloves

       Mix all ingredients except sugar and cream of tartar together into a large pot.  Simmer for about 30 minutes covered to infuse flavors and then let cool about 10 minutes.  Strain (rinse pot) and then put back onto heat.  Add the sugar and cream of tartar heat on medium heat covered for another 20 minutes.  Strain into bottle and refrigerate.

 
       Makers and Anti-Cola
       
       11/2 oz Makers Mark Bourbon
       2 oz soda water
       3/4 oz anti-cola syrup

       Build in an Old-Fashioned filled with Ice

 
   You can taste the sugar and there is a good deal of it in this syrup but the clean fresh taste you get from this is unmatched from any soda you can buy at the store.  This is relatively easy to make and intrigues your average customer.  A quick note on the color, it’s not a deep dark brown like most sodas but most people like it without comment on the color.  I think this can help bring soda out from being somewhat of a filler ingredient to a useful tool behind the bar.  Make sure you taste this with all the spirits in your bar and try upping the lime juice when used with good rum.  Mess with the recipe as much as you would like, but not before trying a Makers Mark and Anti-Cola.

Article and Drink By: Mark Sexauer