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If the rumors we hear on BevReview are true, PepsiCo will be introducing what they're calling "Pepsi Throwback" and "Mountain Dew Throwback," both made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, this spring. While most physicians and scientists believe that high fructose corn syrup is no worse than sugar, health-wise (it's the fact that high fructose corn syrup is added willy-nilly to everything from bread to salad dressing that makes it problematic), many people say they like the taste of regular sugar in soda better. I've even heard of people driving across the border to Mexico to bring back cases of their favorite sugar Coke. I, however, have never noticed an appreciable difference, though admittedly I rarely drink any soda besides Diet Coke.Can you tell the difference been soda with high fructose corn syrup and soda made with sugar? Which do you like better?
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2-20-2009 @1:18PM Megan said... I prefer the taste of "mexican coke" with real sugar, it seems to taste sweeter. You can buy it at smart and final any time, no need to cross the border. I have never tried Pepsi with real sugar.
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2-20-2009 @1:18PM texasannie said... I live in Houston, so a lot of local grocery stores stock the real-sugar Mexican Cokes. There's definitely a difference. I never warmed up to the cloying taste of HFCS Coke, as I switched to Diet Coke in the mid-'80s. But the Mexican Cokes taste bright and just right. I try not to drink a lot of calories in general, but I get them for a special treat every now and then. The bottle are small -- 10 fl oz, I think -- so it's not too terrible to drink one occasionally.
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2-20-2009 @1:42PM Gary said... When given a choice between a soda sweetened with Sugar or HFCS; I will always choose the one sweetened with Sugar. To me there is a distinct taste difference between the two. It may be because I grew up during the period of time when beverage manufacturers were transitioning from using Sugar to using HFCS (childhood memories of Sugar sweetened sodas), that I can taste the difference and prefer Sugar over HFCS. I also remember how small the bottle sizes were back then compared to the mammoth sizes we have today.
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2-20-2009 @2:06PM DJ said... im really glad to hear this. i hope coke follows suit, since it tastes much better than pepsi. but the mexican coke with real sugar is great.
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2-20-2009 @2:06PM robotrock said... The difference in taste is noticeable, but the difference in texture is a punch in the face.
the HFCS sodas have a slightly sour/tartness to the sweetness...they also coat your mouth with a tart syrupy flavor...blech.
Sugar sodas finish clean like kool-aid. I really hope Coke follows their lead because I can't stand the taste of Pepsi.
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2-20-2009 @2:08PM Hilary said... Every year during Passover, Coke and Pepsi both sell the original formula soda made with sugar. Just look for the yellow caps.
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2-20-2009 @2:34PM Barry said... HFCS blows. Cane sugar sweetened drinks taste good. Would like to have some Coke sweetened with Agave nectar. That'd be awesome.
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2-21-2009 @1:30AM BraH said... In Dublin, Texas there is an old Dr Pepper bottling and distribution plant that that makes DP with Imperial cane sugar. I often drive through the small distribution area and pick up a couple of flats of Dublin Dr Pepper for family and friends.
Yes, there is a difference, and sugar is much better than corn syrup.
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2-20-2009 @2:45PM DK said... Here in Denver, CO Costco sells Mexican cokes with cane sugar. They taste great and take me back to the 1950's and 1960's before HFCS. I agree with the poster who commented on the syrupy/sweet-sour aftertaste from HFCS. And bring back 10oz sodas - that is really all anyone needs to drink.
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2-20-2009 @2:50PM Adella said... Yes! Yes! You can taste the difference! Old folks like me have a Proustian experience when drinking Mexican coke because it tastes like Coke used to taste in the '50s. The real stuff, in other words.
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2-20-2009 @3:08PM Astin said... They're still sweetened with sugar in Canada as well, so I can really taste the difference when I visit the States. The HFCS ones just taste... faker. They do have a textural difference as well... heavier perhaps.
Not as fake as diet sodas though.
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2-20-2009 @3:32PM hbaumann said... Sugar definitely beats out HFCS for so many reasons and it does taste different despite Pepsi and Coke claiming it didn't change the taste. I wouldn't drink any soda excessively but I have purchased "Mexi-cola" (Coca-cola imported from Mexico) from Kroger grocery store for a crazy $2/bottle. Definitely a rare treat.
To the other Hilary, I have heard about the passover versions of Coke but have yet to see any and I've looked now for several years around passover. I wonder if availability might vary based on where you live (or maybe it just sells out quickly.)
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2-20-2009 @4:58PM samantha said... I'm not so sure the difference between mexican cola and US cola is just the sugar, the mexican stuff (as well as coca light ie diet) are way way way superior to our coke here. I think it's cause they had a touch more cinnamon to the mix (like remember the holiday coke a few years ago? totally tasted like mexican coke to me! I loved it.
But I am guessing you can taste a difference, and the formula will give you different mouth feel as well.
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2-20-2009 @3:23PM Kevin said... HFC is a terrible product - anyone who has to create commercials trying to convince the public that their product is "natural" is obviously lying!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRicUInkYQM&eurl=http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/dishing/2009/01/mercury_in_hfc.html
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2-20-2009 @5:25PM James said... I remember RC Draft made w/ real sugar. That was probably the best cola ever. Too bad it was discontinued.
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2-20-2009 @5:30PM Hilary said... Another Hilary!
Yeah, they tend to sell it at stores in areas with large Jewish populations. You can call your store and ask if they will be getting it in, or if you have a kosher market in your area, try there. I live in Los Angeles so I've been able to find it easily, although it does sell out quickly--try looking a few weeks before Passover starts.
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2-20-2009 @10:06PM Divine Bird Jenny said... I noticed a difference long before I knew WHY there was a difference. The HFCS taste bothers me in just about everything (exceptions are Hershey's syrup and I believe Heinz ketchup) and to me it is a weird aftertaste that won't go away. I can't even finish a glass of Coke made with the stuff; it actually tastes nauseatingly bad. I couldn't figure out why I remembered Coke tasting different until just a few years ago, when HFCS showed up on our collective radar.
It's hard because many people I know can't tell the difference. My parents actually get irritated at me for not drinking Coke at their house because they think I'm being 'difficult'. Honestly, the stuff turns my stomach and especially now that I'm aware of it, it is obvious to me! The Passover Coke is so much better and really does taste like it did when I was a kid. My Jewish friends buy dozens of bottles and keep them throughout the year. :)
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2-20-2009 @11:08PM Leslie said... Cane sugar sodas taste much better, don't leave that icky thick film in your mouth and I think are somewhat better for you than the HFCS type. Kosher for passover Coke is great!
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2-21-2009 @12:04AM millennialk said... The irony of my post is that I hardly drink pop any more but, think about it from time to time and really enjoy good versions when I drink them. I savor them instead of guzzling them like water.
Pop by the way is the correct term for all carbonated beverages on the market since they use seltzer water, not soda water. If you go to a retro fountain place they should have soda water and at that point you could have your soda and drink it to.
RC Draft probably was the best cola ever, thanks for reminding me James. Plus it looked like a beer bottle, which made all the professors give me funny looks during lectures!
Most Mexican Markets have the real sugar pops. If a product is from Mexico and says sugar it is cane sugar. If the product says sugar in America it is beet sugar which is fine for most everything except pop where the cane flavor comes out. I still prefer any sugar to the HFCS.
I agree with Samantha's comment about the cinnamon coke. There seems to be a slightly different spice mix in Cokes from Mexico and as I have heard other countries.
I'll have to keep my eye out for those yellow caps for my coke fix, since it is only Pepsi at this point release retro pops, which being a recovering Dew Head, I will be anticipating. I drink mostly Tea these days so an occasional pop is a treat!
To those remembering Cola from the 60's, the sweetening didn't change over completely until the 80's, as the flavor changed when I was little. I found this out the first time I had a Mexican Coke a decade ago. It transported me standing in the store, to a summer long ago. That caught me quite off guard to say the least. It was one of those moments that connects previous moments, as one. Is it so bad to have precious moments created by companies? Not sure myself.
Has anyone tried the Red Bull Natural Cola? It is made with sugar and is quite good. Although, a bit intense on first taste. I guess you could describe it like the first time you listened to Arcade Fire or the Shepherd's Dog Album. It has so much more depth than there is normally, with each drink I could taste a different spice. By the end of the can I was hooked. Helpfully, the spices are listed on the can and make me want to try to make my own soda or pop! Who would have know that there is mace, ginger and cardamom in some cola's? Oh and did I mention it has Coca leaf, yep that leaf.
I think it would be brilliant for the pop makers to use the Agave Syrup or even a touch of honey to differentiate themselves. I am glad Barry brought up that great sweetener with less taste than honey, but is still liquid, which dissolves more easily in cold drinks.
Savor a moment with good food and great drinks!
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2-21-2009 @5:57AM Kathy said... I was thinking about HFCS Ginger Ale the other day:
http://barkingatkathy.blogspot.com
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