Karlonia.com

If you have ever tried Coca-Cola Blak, then you probably know that it has a certain coffee flavor to it, and is also rather expensive. I happen to have some special experience with this particular product; I was one of a small group of people who had the opportunity to sample this beverage approximately six months before it was ever available for sale in the stores by participating in a paid market research survey.

After answering some basic screening questions that let the company know that I was a regular consumer of cola-flavored soda drinks, they showed us several previews of what this new Coke product would look like, and even had us choose between two tentative names for the product. Besides “BlaK”, the other name that Coke was considering at the time was “Maqio”. Apparently, “BlaK” eventually received more votes from the survey participants. We also got to vote on the design of the packaging and even had some input regarding the suggested retail price of the final product. I tried to get them to lower their price somewhat from the amount they were suggesting, but even the lowest amount that they let us choose in the online survey seemed a little high.

Upon completion of this paid online market research survey, the company sent us two samples of the product for testing and then had us take another online survey so that we could give them our opinions about the flavor, taste, and perceived value of the product. The product that they shipped to us was contained in two unlabeled glass bottles with letter codes stamped on them. We used the letter codes in the second online survey to confirm that we had actually received the product. As I remember it, the product that I tasted at the time was very similar to the Coca Cola Blak that is in the stores now; it is quite possibly the exact same formula. About one week after completing the second online survey, I received a check the mail for $15 as an honorarium for my time and participation. Not bad for 30 minutes of “work”- I got two free bottles of Coke AND got paid for it!

In addition to the obvious benefits of being able to take this paid online market research survey, I was also able to gain some insight into how to make Coca Cola Blak at home without having to pay the ridiculously high price that they are currently charging for it. After taking a good look at the ingredients list that came with the product and then carefully tasting it, I realized that this supposedly “sophisticated” beverage was essentially the same thing as regular Coca Cola with a little bit of coffee extract added to it. There were a few other chemical ingredients in there like citric acid, phosphoric acid, and some preservatives, but these were all pretty much the same as what is already contained in a regular Coke.

So I developed the following simple procedure for how to make Coca Cola Blak:

1. Get a glass with at least 20 ounces of volume and fill it about one-third of the way to the top with ice.
2. Take a small amount (no more than half an ounce or about one tablespoon) of freshly brewed coffee and drizzle it over the ice.
3. Get a 12 ounce can of regular Coke (you can even use a generic store brand of cola if you really want to reduce the cost), open it, and pour it into the glass.
4. If desired, you can combine the flavors together more evenly by either swirling the glass around a little bit while you’re pouring in the Coke or by lightly stirring the beverage with a straw or spoon after you’re finished pouring in the Coke. However, be careful that you do not shake or stir the beverage too much because it can lose too much of the carbonation, which will make the drink taste “flat”.
5. Drink and enjoy! You can now feel like a “sophisticated” shopper without having to pay a sophisticated price.

As long as you do not use too much coffee, I have found that the result tastes virtually identical to the retail version of Coca Cola Blak. Since the amount of coffee required is so small that its cost is practically negligible, it is now possible to make a homemade version of Coca Cola Blak for about the same cost as a regular Coke! Of course, you CAN put in more than 1/2 ounce of coffee, but I have found that if you do this, the stronger coffee taste will clash with the flavor of the Coke, leaving a rather bitter aftertaste that you may not find entirely pleasant. On the other hand, if you do use more coffee, you can add an extra jolt of caffeine to the beverage and experiment with different ratios of flavors and ingredients. But if you want to end up with something that actually tastes like the real Coca Cola Blak, I recommend that you stick to the 1/2 ounce amount or maybe a little less.