WATCH: YouTuber cracks Coca-Cola’s secret recipe

A popular YouTuber claims he’s finally unlocked the secret behind Coca‑Cola’s iconic taste — and the internet is paying attention.

The creator, known online as LabCoatz, posted a video earlier this month detailing how he believes Coca-Cola is made. The video has already attracted close to seven million views.

Using lab glassware, pipettes and a long list of flavourings, he walks viewers through what he calls a reverse-engineered version of the drink.

Cinnamon, oils and a lot of chemistry

Among the ingredients he identifies are essential oils such as lemon, lime, orange and coriander, along with cassia cinnamon, nutmeg oil and neroli. He also lists caramel colouring, glycerine, vanilla, wine tannins, caffeine, and vinegar.

“I’ve always tasted that cinnamon flavour,” remarked Primedia Plus digital editor Barbara Friedman, adding that it’s especially noticeable in Coke Zero.

The YouTuber even shares a full recipe, encouraging viewers to try it themselves. Some test tasters, however, were unconvinced, suggesting it came close — but not quite close enough.

Why the secret still holds

Coca-Cola’s formula is famously kept under lock and key, with knowledge split across locations and no single employee knowing the entire recipe. It’s a deliberate choice: rather than patenting the formula — which would require public disclosure — the company has relied on secrecy for more than a century.

As one commentator put it, “It’s not just about the ingredients, it’s about the execution.” The comparison? Baking a cake. Two people can use the same components and still end up with very different results.

Cocaine, pharmacies and history

Coca-Cola’s origins date back to late-19th-century American pharmacies, where it was initially sold in small doses and did, briefly, contain cocaine. That ingredient has long since been removed, but the mythology around the drink has only grown.

Despite modern technology and countless competitors — including Pepsi — no one has definitively replicated the taste.

And for now, it seems the world’s most famous soft drink is still holding onto its mystery.

For more information, listen to Friedman using the audio player below: