Over the past few weeks, Nick Bruce-Boehler has been huddled in a dank laboratory tinkering over vials and bubbling vessels with a secret formula.
OK — the house manager at the Blue Wing Saloon in Upper Lake actually spent this spare time in a gleaming, brightly lit kitchen. And instead of causing monstrous transformations, Bruce-Boehler’s formula when perfected will more likely result in ear to ear smiles.
The recipe for now involves vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander and cardamom, condensed with sugar into a not-so-simple syrup.
“The nutmeg got away from me,” he said. “I’m still working on the proportions.”
When he settles on the right formula, Bruce-Boehlor will have an artisanal cola. It will be the first in a line of house made sodas, to include lemon-lime, orange, ginger ale, black cherry and perhaps root beer in addition to cola.
He hopes to have recipes perfected sometime within the next two or three weeks.
And he’s not far off. Effervescent bubbles release aromas of familiar spices, soft vanilla and cream. The flavors are crisp — again like the famous brand of cola, yet without the cloying corn syrup. Cinnamon and nutmeg rise above the earthier spices, only to mellow out against the warm vanilla.
Squeeze a little fresh lemon into the glass and the sharp citrus slices into biting spice, allowing the vanilla more room to flow.
This is nostalgic soda fountain fare, blended right at the bar. And it is natural, so in place of the artificial burnt caramel hue of name brands, the cola appears like ginger ale — a nice pale straw color.
“I used white sugar,” Bruce-Boehler said. “I might do it with brown sugar to give it a little of that caramel.”
Whatever he settles on, house made sodas on the Blue Wing menu will be a treat.
Look for them in early January.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
