Empire Rising: Spain

In the sweltering summer, how can you miss out on chilled happiness water? The sweet and sour taste of the beverage combined with the fizz of carbonation is the true essence of summer.

Although Carlo is not exactly sure when Coca-Cola was invented, it is certain that its origin is definitely before the 20th century.

Moreover, this concoction doesn’t require much technical skill; a sweet and sour beverage mixed with carbonated water transforms into a carbonated drink, and with the addition of ice, it gains a soul.

Carbonated water was already invented early in the previous half-year, and cola’s earliest ingredient was indeed the kola nut, a common fruit in the tropics.

“Coca-Cola Company?” Steward Loren sifted through the memories in his mind, not finding any enterprise by that name: “Please forgive me, Your Majesty. In my impression, there is no such company, or perhaps this company is not well-known locally.”

Carlo nodded, his heart brimming with excitement.

Since the Coca-Cola Company hasn’t yet been established, Carlo naturally wouldn’t miss out on the enormous beverage market.

Cola isn’t just popular in later times; it’s equally beloved in this era. No one can resist the temptation of enjoying a cold cola on a summer day, unless there are two cups.

Carlo remembers that Coca-Cola was immensely popular as soon as it was launched. Furthermore, cola wasn’t pricey, and the wealthy in the United States would often walk down the street, enjoying cola from their glass bottles.

If cola could be invented earlier, it might achieve the same success. After all, making this drink isn’t difficult, it just needs a gimmick to catch fire on every street corner.

As long as the first cola can quickly reach global markets, even if other colas are invented later, no matter how similar in taste, they won’t compete with the first cola.

The first point is about cost, and the second is that once people get used to the taste of one cola, they often find other colas less refreshing.

Though he already had the idea to make cola, Carlo was not in a rush.

The initial formula for making cola was indeed simple—just a fizzy drink concocted from kola nuts, carbonated water, and white sugar.

To ensure cola’s immense success, each bottle must consistently have the same flavor, and a flavor that most people would appreciate.

“A drink made from kola nuts and carbonated water?” Upon hearing Carlo’s instructions, Steward Loren did not ask why but nodded to indicate his understanding.

Though unaware of Carlo’s purpose behind creating such a drink, considering it was the King’s command, it was naturally to be carried out.

And it wasn’t complicated; carbonated water and the kola fruit were relatively common items. It was just a matter of combining them to craft a beverage—a task Carlo could accomplish as soon as he wanted.

The next day, Carlo received three large cups of the beverage.

Steward Loren explained, “Your Majesty, these three cups are the drinks made per your instructions. From left to right, each cup has an increasing amount of sugar.

These beverages have been pre-tested and verified to cause no discomfort upon consumption. You might try them to see which flavor suits your preference.”

Carlo nodded, quite satisfied with Steward Loren’s prompt actions.

This symbolizes the power of kingship in this era—whatever you wish to do, it’s just a thought away.

From a carbonated drink as simple as this to cars and cannons, products could be crafted exactly as one envisions.

In later times, Carlo tasted many modern colas, but the original flavor he had yet to experience.

What could be the difference between this carbonated drink made from kola nuts and sugar, and the colas of later times?

Carlo first poured a small cup from the leftmost beverage, carefully sipping a taste.

The flavor, how to describe it, was akin to a diluted cola, not sweet, with minimal fizz.

Next was the middle cup, its flavor was a bit richer, with moderate sweetness.

Finally, the rightmost cup, its taste was nearly identical to the second, except it was noticeably sweeter, but all shared the shortcoming of having less fizz.

There was no helping it. Compared with later cola production processes, the current carbonated water creation was simpler, and naturally, the bubble content in the water was lower.

Simply put, the current carbonated water’s bubble content was akin to that of cola in later times after having been left in a glass for several minutes.

Although there was some carbon dioxide gas, the gas content and the excitement felt upon drinking it were not as intense as future times.

The leftmost drink could basically be ruled out. Its flavor was not only milder but also lacked sweetness, making it less palatable.

If you were to talk about the difference between the middle cup and the right cup, they resembled the difference between Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola.

The middle cup had a stronger carbonated taste, while the right one was sweeter, each with its own characteristics. If both had more fizz, they would indeed resemble Pepsi and Coca-Cola closely.

But unfortunately, the lack of carbon dioxide content was a major issue, making these drinks less refreshing than expected.

“Dump the leftmost cup; keep the middle and right cups. These two flavors could be made richer, with a bit more fizz.”