Most people of a certain age remember the debacle of “New Coke.” To this day, the story is widely used in marketing and business classes as an example of what not to do. Conspiracy theories abound about the real reason for the switch, and one of them has to do with sugar. Before 1985, Coca-Cola bottlers supposedly used only real sugar in their formula. When New Coke was introduced, they switched over to high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS. It was cheaper and had a sweeter taste, which was what they were trying to achieve with the reformulation. Only it bombed. I can still remember the slightly “chemical” taste of New Coke and how truly awful it was. As everyone knows, they reintroduced the original formula a few months later as Coca-Cola Classic and the company rebounded completely. But people said there was a difference…they didn’t use real sugar anymore. They had switched to HFCS and most people didn’t notice because it had been a while since they’d tasted the original version.
After 24+ years of drinking Coke with HFCS, I just accept the taste now. I don’t notice that slightly chemical flavor anymore. But nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to the original version. I still love my Coke, but it’s not quite the same and I’m not sure it ever will be again. I’m not necessarily anti-HFCS. I think it’s bad for you, but I won’t go so far as to call it evil like others do. Sugar is pretty bad for you in excess, too. The problem is that HFCS is everywhere and in everything these days. As with everything, moderation is key.
A while back, my husband stumbled upon some information that said Coke bottled in Mexico is still made with real sugar and he had been on the lookout for some since. He didn’t tell me about it, so when he picked up a glass bottle of Coke in the Mexican food aisle at Piggly-Wiggly a couple of weeks ago and started reading the label, I was puzzled. When he pointed the ingredient list out to me, I decided I had to try it! So we bought a bottle (for $1.19…it’s a tad pricy) and took it home.
After it was nice and cold, I poured some into a glass to try. I was a little hesitant, but it was so good. I am not great at explaining this, but it was “lighter” than regular Coke. Not as thick, somehow. Not overly sweet, just the right balance. And it reminded me of how good Coke used to be. I was instantly taken back to my childhood, the days when Coke was a treat for us on the rare occasions that my mom bought some or when we went out to eat. It was that good!
I’m told that you can buy it in bulk at Costco. We don’t have a membership there and I think the closest one is in North Durham, so it’s not very convenient. But if you’re local and want to buy just 1 or 2 bottles, Piggly Wiggly does have them. They’re in the Mexican food section, on the very bottom shelf in the back of the aisle, near the meat. A friend told me that the closest thing to the original Coke formula is actually kosher Coke, which is available during Passover in some markets. Sadly, I have a feeling Central North Carolina isn’t one of those. I may be wrong, though. If anyone knows where to find some kosher Coke, I’m happy to taste test it and give my opinion!
(And just for the record, I don’t believe in any of the conspiracy theories out there about New Coke. As a former marketing professional, I just cannot see a company taking a risk like that. Snopes.com claims that they were using HFCS before the switch, but there’s a lot of information out there that states otherwise. I think the truth probably lies somewhere in between!)
