Public radio show "This American Life" claims to have the secret formula for Coca-Cola. On Feb. 11, host Ira Glass explained that a newspaper clipping from a 1979 issue of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution included a photo of a pharmacist's recipe book. The book reportedly belonged to Coke's inventor, pharmacist John Pemberton. A lengthy recipe, titled CoCo Cola, is completely legible in the photo.
Historian Mark Pendergrast believes the recipe is an authentic version of Coca-Cola. Years ago, Pendergrast found a similar, but incomplete, recipe while sorting through Coke's archives. The company denies the authenticity of both recipes and claims the "real thing" is still a secret.
The Colonel's Secret is Safe
Colonel Harland Sanders developed the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1940. The recipe, still in use today, is a closely guarded secret. KFC claims only two executives know the mystical combination of herbs and spices. A third executive has the combination to the safe that houses the handwritten recipe signed by Colonel Sanders. The three executives are not publicly known and cannot travel together for fear of an accident.
Multiple sources provide ingredients for the seasoning blend and agree to stringent secrecy guidelines. To further safeguard the secret spice blend, KFC does not disclose it suppliers
In 2008, KFC upgraded the antiquated system it used to protect the recipe for nearly 70 years. The recipe's highly publicized relocation coincided with the debut of a new menu item. With the assistance of a security expert, the Louisville Metro Police Department and an armored car, they temporarily transferred the recipe to an undisclosed location during the upgrade.
Despite the abundance of copycat or fake out recipes, the original combination of 11 herbs and spices remains a mystery today.
McDonald's Lost Secret Sauce
According to the Chicago Tribune, McDonald's realized the original recipe for secret sauce was missing in 2004. Fred Turner, who worked alongside McDonald's founder Ray Kroc, came out of retirement at the request of a new CEO. In an effort to bolster the company, he wanted to ditch the miserly version and bring back the original secret sauce, but no one could find the recipe.
McDonald's contacted the company that helped develop the original recipe decades earlier and recovered the recipe for secret sauce. Combined with other tweaks, the return proved a positive turning point as McDonald's experienced sales growth.
DIY Coke?
Glass consulted industry experts at Jones Soda and Sovereign Flavors to put the vintage recipe to the test. The team could not procure a vital ingredient, fluid extract of coca, since it comes from a controlled substance. After compensating for today's stronger essential oils, they created a cola in the same sphere as Coke. In a blind taste test, 28 of 30 people could tell the cola was not the name brand version.
Phil Mooney, director of the Coca-Cola archives, was not impressed with the soda, saying it lacked the "bite and burn" of the iconic soda. He is aware of three or four dozen supposed recipes with origins similar to the supposed Pemberton ledger.
With its lengthy list of ingredients, attempting to make DIY Coke seems time consuming and fruitless. (7-Eleven still offers Big Gulps.) As Mooney says, Coke has nearly 125 years of history and a strong psychological component.
Sources
"Act One: Message in a Bottle", This American Life
"KFC to Showcase Historic Safe", KFC
David Greising and Jim Kirk, "McDonald's Finds Missing Ingredient", Chicago Tribune
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