Customer Reviews

Coca Cola, 11.5 oz.

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought a couple bottles of this from a local gas station (Michigan) the other day. The owner told me it was bought from Mexico. I tried it side by side with locally distributed Coca Cola, and noticed it tastes like the Coca Cola I remembered as a child. The local Coca Cola does not compare. I attribute the difference mainly to the use of cane sugar in the Mexican product. The aroma of this product is better as is the taste. The greensish tinted bottle gives it a nostalgic feel, but it is the taste and aroma that sold me. Additionally, the local product was overly carbonated, perhaps to have a longer shelf life. If you are looking for the way coca cola used to taste, this is it!

Of course, back then everyone drank the good stuff. This was before the U.S. Government-sponsored sugar wars of the 1970s, leading the soft drink manufacturers to use cheaper high-fructose corn syrup instead. (+ History Lesson included below)

It was never a taste or health decision, purely cost. Of course we now know there are other (long term) costs: HFCS probably has plenty to do with the frightening increase in obesity and diabetes in this country. (* recent Princeton study; see link in Comments)

Coke's current U.S. offering isn't just bad FOR you. It tastes horrible, too. And despite official Coca-Cola comments to the contrary ("All of our consumer research indicates that from a taste standpoint, the difference is imperceptible"), anyone who has tasted both knows the difference. The suits in Atlanta have a vested interest in protecting their bottling partners on this side of the border. Their apparent failure at the taste test table thus becomes understandable if not acceptable.

On the other side of the border, however, Mexican Coke still uses cane sugar, which translates to pure sweetness not to mention less aftertaste. Nice heavy glass bottles add to the appeal. Find these at your local carniceria or bodega, or even by the case at some Costco or Sam's Club locations.

REFRESCO indeed!!!


P.S. If you are unable to find Mexican Coke locally and unwilling to pay the shipping premium here, just keep your eyes open next Spring for the special Passover Coke, which also forgoes the corn syrup for good old fashioned (and Kosher!) sugar.


[+ History Lesson follows]

By the late 1970s, increasing tariffs on imported sugar forced U.S. food manufacturers to develop alternative sweeteners. The answer quickly became high-fructose corn syrup, the price of which continues to be kept low through government subsidies for corn growers. Damn the taste, we know what fat Americans with dead taste buds want!

This stuff is great when compared to the American version. However, don't order it online. Just get in the car and go to Sam's if you have one nearby. It our Sam's, it's like $17.00 for a case of bottles.

Just so you know, you can usually get this at your local bodega or Mexican grocery store for less than half the price. I'm like 1500 miles from Mexico and I can still find it locally.

Coke switched from using sugar to high fructose corn syrup in the 80's. Remember the whole New Coke, Classic Coke, New Wave Coke crap? Mexican coke (and most Coke from other countries) still uses sugar instead of the cheaper high fructose corn syrup. And it's probably much better for you because of that and the fact that it's only 11.5oz instead of the 20oz plastic bottles commonly consumed in the U.S., so it's fewer calories. We buy Mexican Coke when at all possible. But, I've heard that the Mexican Coke Zero uses an artificial sweetener not approved for use by the USFDA, so not something you want to run out a try.

i have lived in several countries and american coke is by far the worst tasting coke around - period! high fructose corn syrup distorts the taste i remember from my days being a kid. NOW comes this mexican coke, which is good-ol'-fashion-coke, from the good old days. try it and fall in love with coke all over again. the taste, the smell and yes, even the bottle, make you a "believer" once more. i have given up on american coke (as well as american pepsi et al.). grab one of these and enjoy it with your favorite slice of pizza. it's that good!

My order was packaged extremly well, with lots of bubble wrap. Thank you for carefully wrapping each bottle. It was appreciated.

But...

The soda arrived flat...no fizz. I really wanted to enjoy this, but the flatness ruined it. My guess is that it was flat when it was shipped.

I was just in Houston Texas and found these bottle for $1.29 each. The prices on Amazon are way to high.
I was there the first week of May, 2010
They want double the price here. Talk about making a killing !!!!!!!!!