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1. Pour the cola into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cola has reduced to about 3–4 tablespoons of a thick, dark, caramel-like syrup. Watch carefully in the last few minutes to avoid burning. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
2 cup Full-fat cola (e.g. Coca-Cola)
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2. Stir the brown sugar into the warm cola reduction until fully dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3 tbsp Brown sugar
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3. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream and whole milk over medium heat. Warm until steaming and just beginning to simmer at the edges — do not boil. Remove from heat.
1.5 cup Heavy cream,
0.5 cup Whole milk
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4. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar vigorously for about 2 minutes until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened.
4 piece Egg yolks,
0.5 cup Caster sugar
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5. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Once all the cream is incorporated, pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
1.5 cup Heavy cream,
0.5 cup Whole milk
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6. Cook the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 77–80°C (170–176°F), about 8–10 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat immediately.
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7. Stir the cola-brown sugar reduction, vanilla extract, citric acid powder, and sea salt into the hot custard. Whisk until fully combined. Taste — the citric acid should give a faint tongue-tingling quality reminiscent of cola bottle sweets.
1.5 tsp Pure vanilla extract,
0.5 tsp Citric acid powder,
1 pinch Pinch of fine sea salt
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8. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until completely cold (below 4°C / 40°F).
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9. Churn the cold custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, typically 25–35 minutes, until it reaches a thick, soft-serve consistency.
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10. Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container, smooth the top, and press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Freeze for at least 4 hours until firm before scooping. Serve in bowls or cones.
