This Sugarcane Kola Syrup is spelled with a ‘k’ for a reason - we use the original ingredient, the kola nut. The kola nut was a main source of caffeine in the recipe that John Pemberton developed in 1886 that eventually became Coca-Cola. The kola nut is native to West Africa and is chewed or brewed for its stimulating effects, which are due to caffeine and theobromine. Kola nuts are an important component of spiritual and religious cultures in West Africa and were even used as a form of currency by groups in Mali and Senegal.