Cola Lemonade

A cola from a French lemonade maker

Caramel, kola nut and a hint of mandarin; this cola comes from a house that has been making lemonade since 1921, and it tastes quite different from what you usually find on the supermarket shelf. Less sweet, spicier, with a recognizable citrus component.

The Cola Limonade from La Mortuacienne is the only non-fruit variety in the Maison Rième range and comes in the same swing-top bottle as its siblings. Caramel notes, as one expects from a cola, meet a citrus element that makes the whole thing feel significantly fresher. There are 8.5 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters.

Caramelly, spicy, surprisingly fresh

On the nose, first the expected caramel, but behind it something that is missing in industrial cola: a bright citrus note reminiscent of mandarin.

On the palate, the kola nut reveals itself with its slight bitterness, accompanied by spice notes more familiar from a herbal liqueur than a lemonade. The nut comes from the West African kola tree and naturally contains caffeine, which is why it has been used in soft drinks since the 19th century. The sweetness remains in the background instead of overpowering everything, and the finish is shorter and cleaner.

Anyone expecting the Cola Limonade to taste like the industry giant will be surprised. It doesn't, and it doesn't want to; here we have a unique interpretation in the glass, closer to what cola was a hundred years ago.

On ice, with rum, with grilled food

Ice-cold in a glass with plenty of ice and a slice of lemon. The acidity lifts the spice notes and removes the stickiness from the sweetness.

Spicy, caramelly, and fresh all at once—this trio of characteristics sets it apart from anything that comes out of a can. One liter is enough for a good four glasses.

The Cola Limonade truly shines in a long drink. With a rum liqueur or whisky, the caramel notes of the lemonade pick up those of the cask. Because it is less sweet, it can handle more alcohol without losing its balance.

At the table, it pairs with everything from the grill. A good cola belongs with burgers, spareribs, and fries with mayonnaise anyway. It should be drunk straight from the cold refrigerator. If you prefer fruit, the pomegranate lemonade is available nearby.

Why a lemonade house makes a cola

At first glance, a cola doesn't fit into a range of lemon, orange, and grapefruit. At second glance, it does.

Originally, cola was nothing more than a lemonade with spices, brewed from kola nut extract, sugar, citrus oils, and water. Only industrial production turned it into a beverage that tastes the same all over the world. A house that makes its own syrups can apply this recipe just as well as any fruit variety.

At Rième, the cola follows the same path as everything else. The sugar base is created cold in the sirogène, the process Marcel established in 1921, and only then are the spices and aromas added. What changes is the aromatic side, never the foundation.

Today, the cola is one of ten varieties from the house and the only one that does not taste of fruit. If you would like to discover the whole spectrum, start with the Lemon Limonade and work your way through the La Mortuacienne range. A deposit is added to the bottle price.