OpenCola is a brand of open-source cola whose list of ingredients and preparation instructions are freely available and modifiable. Anybody can make the drink, and anyone can modify and improve on the recipe. It was launched in 2001 by the later-defunct free software P2P company Opencola, to promote their company.
Background
The original version 1.0 was released on 27 January 2001 by Grad Conn, Cory Doctorow, and John Henson under the GNU General Public License. The released version is 1.1.3, as of 20 February 2001. The Toronto-based company Opencola shut down in 2003, having become better known for the drink than for the software it was supposed to promote. Laird Brown, the company's senior strategist, attributed its success to a widespread mistrust of big corporations and the "proprietary nature of almost everything".
Flavouring formula
thumb|Flavouring oils used in OpenCola
The flavouring formula for OpenCola is:
- 10.0 g food-grade gum arabic
- 3.5 mL orange oil
- 3.0 mL water
- 2.75 mL lime oil
- 1.25 mL cassia oil
- 1.0 mL lemon oil
- 1.0 mL nutmeg oil
- 0.25 mL coriander oil
- 0.25 mL neroli oil
- 0.25 mL lavender oil
Concentrate formula
thumb|Ingredients of OpenCola
- 2.36 kg plain granulated white table sugar
- 2.28 L water
- 30.0 mL caramel color
- 75% phosphoric acid or citric acid
- flavouring formula
- caffeine (optional)