Many of us can’t get through the day without a coffee, and the warm weather is the perfect excuse to indulge in an iced one for a much-needed caffeine boost. Coffee can be an acquired taste, so adding a splash of milk or a touch of vanilla syrup can quickly take the bitter edge off.
While adding milk and some sugar, or a touch of vanilla, is one of the more common ways to enjoy the drink, there are plenty of other ways to experiment with it too. From adding a pinch of salt to black coffee, or simply freezing cubes of leftover coffee to stop iced lattes from going watery, there’s one other ingredient you might want to try adding to iced coffee for some added sweetness.
TikTok is full of recipes and recommendations for improving already popular drinks and dishes, and while some of them can be downright bizarre, one video that has since gone viral shows a barista combining coffee with cola.
It might sound odd, but if you’re not a huge fan of coffee or simply prefer it sweet, adding cola could be the secret to enjoying the drink.
In an article for Simply Recipes, Alexandra Emanuelli, who tried the recipe, said: “It’s bubbly, sweet, refreshing, and my new favourite way to drink my cup of joe.”
While you might not have thought of pairing coffee with cola, a coffee-flavoured version of the fizzy drink was officially launched in 2017 and sold in cans in vending machines across Japan.
It’s not the first time coffee has been paired with soda, either. Founded in 1895 by Italian immigrants in New York, The Manhattan Special blends hand-brewed espresso, seltzer and pure sugar cane in a glass bottle.
Although American cola uses high-fructose corn syrup, it’s still made with sugar in Europe and the UK, making for a similar-tasting drink.
If you’re still not convinced, Alexandra said: “Iced coffee and cola are a match made in summer-drink heaven”, describing how the fizzy drink helps balance out the bitterness and acidity of coffee.
“It’s not all that different from adding a spoonful of sugar or a pump of your favourite syrup to your morning brew,” she concluded.
How to make iced coffee with cola
Prepare a cup with ice and pour in your cola first, filling it halfway. You can adjust this depending on how sweet you want it.
Brew a double shot of espresso, or instant coffee, and add this to your cup. Add a splash of milk as normal and mix it well.
In her recipe, Alexandra also recommends adding a twist of lime to make it extra refreshing. You could also try using a flavoured Coca-Cola, like cherry or vanilla.
To turn it into a dessert, try adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make a coffee-flavoured float.
