Recipe 18 - Chocolate Cream Soda

It dawned on me the other day as I was going through my stats that I posted 13 recipes last year.  So far this year I have posted a total of four, three of which were listed under "quick-kegging recipes" and were abbreviated versions of previous posts.  That makes me feel like a slacker.  Granted, there's been a lot going on in my life in the past few months, but there's no excuse for not getting those recipes out. 
I've been making soda, there's no doubt about that.  I just haven't been chronicling it well.

I had mentioned in my earlier chocolate soda recipe that I didn't think it was finished.  Though, I didn't fully realize my goals that I set out to achieve when I first attempted chocolate soda, (not from extracts, doesn't taste like a tootsie roll) I have come up with a bit of a compromise.  The secrets to this recipe are the cocoa nibs and the imitation chocolate flavoring.  Cocoa nibs because they can be steeped for a natural flavor and they add a little complexity to the overall flavor without being cocoa powder to settle out or clog filters, and chocolate extract because it's easy, boosts the flavor, and provides a little coloring as well.  Watkins is the only readily available chocolate flavoring that I've seen, the link below is from Amazon, if you can't find it at your local Walmart.

Unfortunately, I didn't quite meet my previous goals: the recipe does contain an artificial extract (not that I really have anything against artificial flavors, but because it makes me feel like a bit of a cheaty-face), and if you're not careful, it ends up tasting fake like a tootsie-roll. 


-1 lb sugar (inverted)
-1tsp cocoa nibs

Steeped Cocoa Nibs

-1tbsp Watkins Imitation Chocolate Flavor (also available at Walmart)
-1 1/2 tbsp Vanilla Extract

Steep the cocoa nibs in about a cup of water.  You can steep more, and use less artificial extract, but that ends up being kind of pricey.  I have wondered what would happen if you ran these through a coffee maker.  I don't own one, so I haven't had the chance to try it.  Fair warning, it doesn't look all that pretty:

Filter out the nibs, then add your inverted sugar syrup and your extracts.  BAM! Chocolate soda syrup for use with 1 gallon of carbonated water.  This would be a great Sodastream recipe, or you may get some extra flavor out of the traditional method of fermenting this with champagne yeast.  I think that would be worth a try, but leave the cocoa nibs in to pull out more flavor.