Coke Hacks

[nakji]

Of course, everybody knows about squeezing in a wedge of lemon or lime into a coke to add polish to your soda. And we've all heard the urban myth about dissolving a nail/fly/rational skepticism in Coke overnight.

But one of my favourite tea shops takes it to a new level - they make a hot drink by adding a knob of fresh, peeled ginger slices into a mug of coke, boil the whole thing up with the espresso steam wand, and serve it as a restorative tonic. It sounds appalling at first, but my husband ordered it after another friend had one - and is now hooked. It's kind of strange without the characteristic nose-tickling bubble of the carbonation lost through the steaming process, but it's not without merit.

There are, of course recipes for coke-on-a-ham and diet coke cake, but I'm interested in keeping the coke as a beverage - what else can you do to it to liven it up?

[Dakki]

Does floating a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it count?

[Beebs]

Not significant hacking, but I like a couple dashes of orange bitters or angostura in my Coke.

[Lilija]

Rum? I like to hack my Coke with some Appleton.

[Doodad]

Old school down here is the short bottles and add peanuts to the coke.

[MelissaH]

Vanilla syrup AND wedge of lime.

MelissaH

[Peter the eater]

The problem with coke is its complete worldwide overexposure. I like it as a rare treat, like a few times per year. Cold, fizzy, caffeinated caramel with a shot of dark rum is the extent of my hacking.

I think I once watched Paula Dean put coke on a chicken.

[ScoopKW]

Havana Club rum and a key lime. I'm old school with my Cuba Libres.

[Chris Hennes]

I'm with Beebs: I like to add bitters to mine (though I'm partial to the Fee Bros lemon over the various orange incarnations).

[Beebs]

I think I once watched Paula Dean put coke on a chicken.

Somewhere in the China Cooking forum, there is a recipe for Coca Cola chicken posted by I think hrtz8w. The chicken is simmered in a Coca Cola and soy sauce. I can't recall where the post is, but the chicken sure was tasty!

[Jenni]

Coke (preferably Thumbs up brand)in a glass bottle with a pinch of chaat masala and some lime juice.

[J.Stevens]

coke hacking lol ... coke and vanilla vodka .. tatses like creme caramel ... AND gets you drunk what more could you ask for?

[KD1191]

Hot/warm Coke & ginger is a favorite cold remedy in my house.

Mexican Coke is generally the order of the day now that Costco has is by the case, and Cuba Libres (muddled lime, Angostura & Sailor Jerry or Flor de Caña) are always a good choice.

Recently had some very interesting Belgian chocolates made with Coke flavored Pop Rocks.

There's Coke barbecue sauce, which I've seen in a number of restaurants...often served with pulled pork.

[Kohai]

What about hacking the actual soda gun? Where I work we've talked about turning up the carbonation, super-charging it so that it lasts longer.

Then there's adding adulterants to the syrup itself - or just making your own shelf-stable syrup and refilling an empty bag with it. I seem to remember they did this at Tailor with their smoked Coke.

[Holly Moore]

An unofficial drink at many fast food places where I worked was the California Coke - Half coke, half either orange drink or orange soda.

At McDonald's, at least back in the late 60's, the first soda lines from the post-mix soda machines to rot out were the ones for Sprite syrup

[Jaymes]

We have a thread on eG somewhere about recipes using Coke and it went on for several pages, including snacks, mains, salads, desserts. Everything, really. A personal favorite in my house is to saute onions for hot dogs with Coke. They wind up sweet and caramelized.

But as far as drinks go, in back in the 50's & 60's, if one was at all fashionable, one always ordered "chocolate Coke" at the soda fountain. Fizzy Coke with chocolate syrup. Really very, very good.

[jsmeeker]

If cocktails like a Cuba Libre count, then hell yeah I like to "hack" my Coca-Cola.

[Tri2Cook]

Since making my own bottle of Don Lee's Buttered Popcorn Rum, I use that with coke to make his Cinema Highball. I also got ahold of some coke syrup and smoked it ala Eben Freeman so I can make my own Waylons. Outside of that, it's usually diet coke (or pepsi) and I don't mess with it much.

[nakji]

Diet Coke: I've never hacked that, either, more than adding a lime. Hmm. Maybe some fresh ginger would hide its horrible sweetener taste?

[jk1002]

I have Coke few times a year as a rare treat as well. I pimp it with liquid smoke.

Add some Effen Back Cherry Vodka and you have a decent long drink.

[mgaretz]

I like to mix Coke with black coffee.

[nakji]

I like to mix Coke with black coffee.

Wait - are they both the same temperature when you do this?

[mgaretz]

I like to mix Coke with black coffee.

Wait - are they both the same temperature when you do this?

Close - I don't bother to chill the coffee but it's at room temperature. It still fizzes like crazy.

[Mr Pie]

Rum? I like to hack my Coke with some Appleton.

+1 with the Appleton, I have a couple of bottles of VX just itching to meet some coke (maybe not all in one go.)

[Rodi]

I am excited to get an ice cream maker so I can make coke slushies with invert sugar and lemon.

The Mexican coke is da bomb too, I get it at a local grocery store for 1.52 US OTD and I put it either in the freezer or even better covered in ice.