Coke Zero was just re-branded Diet Coke for hipsters who didn’t want to drink a “diet” drink. Even thought that’s exactly what it was. Same with Bud Select, which is just re-branded Bud Light as far as I can tell. It’s all about marketing to different segments of your customer base.
I won’t miss it, but that’s easy for me to say as an avid Diet Coke drinker. But still, it’s the same thing. Occasionally I drink Coke Zero. In my experience, it was the exact same beverage except in a black container instead of gray. I always pictured the same spigot down at the bottling plant, but some bottles getting the “Zero” label while others got the “Diet” label.
I do agree that the “Diet Coke with Splenda” was slightly different, and preferable. But what do I know? I usually buy the store brand “Diet Super Chill” because it’s $2 for a 12 pack instead of $5, and I’m not that picky.
Wow, not my experience at all. Coke Zero tastes tremendously different than Diet Coke and it isn’t just in my head. Coke Zero, I think, was based of Coca-Cola. Diet Coke is its own thing.
Coke Zero and Diet Coke are completely different products. Diet Coke is a separate beverage with its own flavor. Coke Zero is intended to mimic the taste of Coke with zero calories. The only thing they have in common is having zero calories.
What is true is they avoided the word “diet” to help appeal to men. Apparently studies have shown men are hesitant to drink things that are named “diet”. Personally I don’t care and drink diet stuff all the time.
It was a joke, dude. As noted above, Coke Zero is not going out of production in the US any time soon. I guess I should have included a for clarity; mea culpa.
Well, conceivably a fan of CCZ might be in the habit of drinking it up well before expiration date and so might not know what old aspartame tastes like. (Really quite awful.) I was going off that surmise and not attempting to imply anything about you, personally.
I’m probably repeating what others have said, but anyway, my opinion on diet colas.
Diet Coke: okay. Coke Zero: Very clear taste difference and much better than Diet Coke. Cherry Coke Zero: The cough-syrup variant of Coke Zero. It’s okay if I’m in the mood. Diet Dr Pepper: Tastes like fermented Cherry Coke Zero. Again, not my first choice, but it’s a nice diversion from time to time. Diet Pepsi (original): like Diet Coke, but tastes like Pepsi. Diet Pepsi (new): now with sucralose rather than aspartame. I like the taste much better. Almost as good as Coke Zero. Pepsi Max: Tastes like a Pepsi with some oriental medicine mixed in (ginger, I believe). It’s good, but I have to be in the mood for it. (And when I am, I prefer it over Coke Zero.)
My last birthday, as a special treat, I had a bottle of Coke, not diet, not high-fructose corn syrup. It’d been years since I had one. My impression now is Coke tastes like Coke Zero, but with different mouth-feel. I could get used to it, but I like Coke Zero better.
I drink far more Coke Zero than any other pop. If they discontinued it, I probably switch to Diet Pepsi over Diet Coke. If they replaced it with something else, I expect it’d be similar enough to Coke Zero that I’d keep with the new branding.
I was curious about Pepsi Zero Sugar after reading this thread so I tried it today. It is very good. It tastes more like real Pepsi to me than Coke Zero tastes like real Coke. I don’t think it will replace my beloved Coke Zero as a staple, but I will definitely buy it again. I really liked it.
A diet drink discovery I made some time ago: Fresca doesn’t advertise as a diet drink but it has zero calories. It’s not to everyone’s taste but I like it.
“Coke No Sugar” (ugly label design here) is out here this week. I have purchased a bottle, and will report back in a few days, after it’s chilled a bit.
for clarity; mea culpa.
It’s okay if I’m in the mood.