# Coke and "original formula" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-and-original-formula/248989 "2004-06-06T18:42:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-and-original-formula/248989/21 "2004-06-07T15:36:05Z")
FTR, Canadian Coca-Cola is still made with cane sugar. There is a perceptable difference in taste between what I get at home and what I get when I’m in the U.S. or Japan. I personally prefer the cane sugar version, as do most people that I’ve talked to that are aware of the difference. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-and-original-formula/248989/22 "2004-06-07T16:21:29Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > If you live in a city with a decent sized Jewish population you can get Coke with sugar in it around Passover. Evidently corn syrup is not kosher for Passover. There’s a Kosher supermarket not far from me. Would they have Passover Coke year 'round? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-and-original-formula/248989/23 "2004-06-07T16:33:21Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Wouldn’t low-carb coke be Diet Coke? Apparently not. [Coke C2](http://www.adage.com/news.cms.?newsld=40620) ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-and-original-formula/248989/24 "2004-06-07T16:36:14Z")
Strictly speaking, it’s up to the individual bottler whether to use sugar, corn sweetener, or a mixture thereof. The Coca-Cola corporation provides the ‘flavor’ ingredients, the bottler provides the carbonated water and sweetener (subject to the rules laid down by Coca-Cola). But corn sweetener is so much cheaper that virtually nobody uses sugar anymore. There’s a small bottler here in Texas that makes Dr. Pepper syrup with 100% cane sugar for the sweetener. There’s at least one small deli in the Dallas area that not only buys from them, but uses an old-style dispenser instead of the new-fangled automatic mixers. The servers put the syrup, carbonated water, and ice individually into a glass and mix it up with a spoon … Damn, that’s good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-and-original-formula/248989/25 "2004-06-07T20:53:37Z")
> [@SCSimmons](#): > > Strictly speaking, it’s up to the individual bottler whether to use sugar, corn sweetener, or a mixture thereof. The Coca-Cola corporation provides the ‘flavor’ ingredients, the bottler provides the carbonated water and sweetener (subject to the rules laid down by Coca-Cola). But corn sweetener is so much cheaper that virtually nobody uses sugar anymore. > > There’s a small bottler here in Texas that makes Dr. Pepper syrup with 100% cane sugar for the sweetener. There’s at least one small deli in the Dallas area that not only buys from them, but uses an old-style dispenser instead of the new-fangled automatic mixers. The servers put the syrup, carbonated water, and ice individually into a glass and mix it up with a spoon … Damn, that’s good stuff. Where is this place? I must know! ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-and-original-formula/248989/26 "2004-06-07T21:43:06Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > There’s a Kosher supermarket not far from me. Would they have Passover Coke year 'round? No. From what I understand, Coke makes a special run of corn-syrup-free Coke for about two weeks or so and then switches back to the corn-syrup version. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-and-original-formula/248989/27 "2004-06-07T21:49:38Z")
> [@TitoBenito](#): > > Where is this place? I must know! [Dublin](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=%22dr+pepper%22+sugar+bottler) ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-and-original-formula/248989/28 "2004-06-07T21:58:03Z")
> [@](#): > > No. From what I understand, Coke makes a special run of corn-syrup-free Coke for about two weeks or so and then switches back to the corn-syrup version. Although Passover was only two months ago. It can’t hurt to ask them if they still have any of the Passover stuff in stock, it’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-and-original-formula/248989/29 "2004-06-07T22:06:41Z")
I believe Coke in the UK is still made with sugar, but as I only drink Diet Coke I can’t check the label. Can’t find any real cites - just message board posts about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-and-original-formula/248989.md?page=1)