Cocktails with Cola
Cola is a sweet, caramel-colored carbonated soft drink with a spiced flavor, usually caffeinated.
How it's used
It lengthens, sweetens and colors a drink in one pour. When it fills most of the glass, it also brings most of the sugar. It is acidic as well as sweet, from phosphoric acid. Pour it down the side of the glass over ice and stir as little as possible, since stirring drives out the gas.
Substitutes for Cola
Cane-sugar cola
Mexican cola and the like swap straight in, with as much sugar as regular US cola.
Diet or zero-sugar cola
Keeps most of the flavor but not the sugar, so expect a thinner, less sweet drink.
Dr Pepper
About as sweet but less acidic, for a softer drink.
Cherry and flavored colas
Swapped one for one, they make the drink fruitier.
Storage
Keep it sealed and cold. An opened large bottle loses its gas quickly, even recapped, so small bottles waste less where cola is poured only now and then.
