(2 minute read)
The idea of making our own sodas at Kitchen San José del Cabo, was born in our first location, in Tulum; where we were always driven to innovate by our location in the jungle and the fun limitations this space would impose on traditional restaurant and bar practices.
Without electricity for fridges, we created everything daily from scratch for our daily service. For the bar, this would include liqueurs, syrups, infusions, cordials and all the prep we needed to produce unique recipes. This would also restrict some of the products we could buy if they required fresh and/or cold storage. So learning the artisanal version of the things we needed so we could produce them ourselves on a small scale and of good quality, was the basis of how we operated. And it ended up becoming our culture and the way we cook and prepare everything. It’s no longer about infrastructure or equipment; it’s simply how we love to create everything on our menus.
For over three years, Sodas became one of those things. We’ve been on a mission to recreate the iconic flavors, inspired by the classics but made with a truly artisanal approach and natural ingredients. We got obsessed by reproducing cola, grapefruit, lemon, and orange.
Our journey began with the challenge of crafting a cola soda, experimenting with caramel to achieve that signature dark color and the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness. We relied on a rustic “rocket stove” fueled by wood—a method as challenging as it was rewarding. Keeping the flame steady while the caramel reached the ideal texture and moisture required patience and precision. It took countless tests (and a few burns on our hands) to learn the limits and possibilities of working with molasses.
Research played a key role. We explored traditional recipes and experimented with essential oils and natural oleos, such as cinnamon, lemon, lavender, cilantro, and orange, to faithfully replicate the flavors. Trial and error however was the only way to go.
Flavor was one aspect, however color was very important as well. It took us a year to be able to give life to the grapefruit soda with a hibiscus reduction for a soft pink hue, while the orange soda achieved its vibrant tone with carrot extract. For our artisanal Sprite, we used a blend of yellow and green lemons, enhancing the color with turmeric to maintain its natural essence without artificial dyes.
Once we got the flavor and color right, we incorporated technology to professionally bottle and carbonate our sodas—acquiring a CO2 tank, specialized valves, glass bottles, and a capping machine. And cried tears of joy when we opened the first Chesko Cola and it made a “fffssssssss….” sound and had playful bubbles and a delicious flavor (goes amazing with rum, btw).
One of our values is “without rush, but without pause”—it took us a while but we didn’t want to give up until we achieved something we could proudly put in a glass for you. Now that we have, you really should come try them!
