OpenCola (drink) facts for kids
OpenCola is a brand of open source cola, meaning anyone can make it, and change its recipe freely. It was started on 27 January 2001 by Opencola, a Toronto-based free software P2P company started by Grad Conn, Cory Doctorow and John Henson, to promote their open-source software concept.
Background
The first version of OpenCola, 1.0, came out on 27 January 2001. The latest version of OpenCola is 1.1.3. At first, the company wanted to use OpenCola to promote the company to explain free and open source software, but they became better known for the drink than the software they wanted to promote, and 150,000 cans of OpenCola were sold. Laird Brown, the company's senior strategist, says OpenCola was a success due to many people not trusting big corporations and the "proprietary nature of almost everything".
Flavouring formula
The flavouring formula for OpenCola is:
- 10.0 g food-grade gum arabic
- 3.50 mL orange oil
- 3.00 mL water
- 2.75 mL lime oil
- 1.25 mL cassia oil
- 1.00 mL lemon oil
- 1.00 mL nutmeg oil
- 0.25 mL coriander oil
- 0.25 mL neroli oil
- 0.25 mL lavender oil
Concentrate formula
- 2.36 kg plain granulated white table sugar
- 2.28 L water
- 30.0 mL caramel color
- 17.5 mL (3.50 tsp.) 75% phosphoric acid or citric acid
- 10.0 mL (2.00 tsp.) flavouring formula
- 2.50 mL (0.50 tsp.) caffeine (optional)
Dilution
After mixing the concentrate to the recipe (including all recommended safety precautions), the syrup is diluted 5:1 with ("preferably sodium-free") soda water to make the finished drink. At this dilution, 24 litres of OpenCola is made.
The whole recipe also includes instructions to make home-made soda water from basic ingredients, such as yeast and sugar, to make the whole process open-source, otherwise commercially produced bottled or canned soda, or consumer carbonation machines with commercially manufactured carbon dioxide canisters, would need to be used.
Images for kids
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Flavouring oils used in OpenCola
See also
In Spanish: OpenCola para niños
