# Go into a bar serving Pepsi, ask for diet coke **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [June 13, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176 "2021-06-13T16:25:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/1 "2021-06-13T16:25:43Z")
_Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/1))_ You go into a bar, see that the dispenser clearly has a Pepsi logo, all the bottles in the fridge are Pepsi, the Coca-Cola logo is nowhere to be seen. You ask for a diet coke. What is the expected reaction where you are, (not the reaction you would **like** , the reaction you would **expect**.)? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/2 "2021-06-13T16:38:30Z")
I think Pepsi and Coke have drilled into bars and restuarants for decades to make it clear to customers which products they carry. It reinforces the brand and opens an establishment up to lawsuits if they serve something different than what the customer ordered. That and waitstaff don’t like be yelled out or miss out on a tip for a misunderstanding as customers are known to be assholes. Anyone who just serves you a Pepsi is likely new or not trained at all. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/3 "2021-06-13T16:48:59Z")
I expect this response- “I’m sorry, but we don’t have Coke-is Diet Pepsi o.k.?” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/4 "2021-06-13T16:50:18Z")
I don’t like the wording in the OP, because if I clearly see all of that, I’m not going to order Coke. In fact, I don’t usually specify brand at all, just ask for “a cola”, with the hope that this will just get me whichever one they carry, without having to specify further… though even then, I’ve found that they usually do ask “Is Pepsi OK?”. Now, I don’t have much firsthand experience with what servers say when someone asks for the wrong brand, but given that they usually ask even when I don’t specify a brand, I imagine that they also do so when the customer asks for the wrong one. Which would be entirely reasonable on their part, because while some customers (like me) don’t care too much, others will get upset if the server brings the wrong one, and might opt for some other flavor if their preferred brand isn’t available, and there’s no sense in needlessly upsetting customers. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/5 "2021-06-13T17:16:10Z")
My answer: Europe, ask me if I want Pepsi. Strangely enough, I don’t think I’ve ever been in a restaurant in Switzerland that has Pepsi. It’s either Coke or one of the local (Switzerland or Europe) colas. And I know if I ask for Coke, and the restaurant serves one of the local colas, they will ask. Every time. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/6 "2021-06-13T17:19:07Z")
I expect the bar would mention it was Pepsi, but I doubt they would on a busy Saturday night. Especially if they have a free soda policy for a designated driver policy, so you’re not paying anyway. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/7 "2021-06-13T17:20:49Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I expect this response- “I’m sorry, but we don’t have Coke-is Diet Pepsi o.k.?” What he said. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/8 "2021-06-13T17:34:55Z")
Obviously, the answer to this one is, [![](https://pics.me.me/thumb_customer-cll-haveacoke-with-that-me-79-no-coke-pepsi-we-57629928.png) ](https://pics.me.me/thumb_customer-cll-haveacoke-with-that-me-79-no-coke-pepsi-we-57629928.png) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/9 "2021-06-13T17:42:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I expect this response- “I’m sorry, but we don’t have Coke-is Diet Pepsi o.k.?” Heh. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BZowzqU9P4Q/hqdefault.jpg "Robot Chicken - Is Pepsi okay?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZowzqU9P4Q) ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/10 "2021-06-13T17:45:11Z")
I drink Coke, but if all they have are Pepsi products I’ll take Mountain Dew as actual Mountain Dew is preferable to ersatz Coke. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/11 "2021-06-13T17:49:03Z")
I typically drink Coke, but if I see the dispensers or bottles all say Pepsi, I certainly am not going to ask for a Diet Coke as I would assume they don’t carry any kind of Coke products. If I am in a place and not sure whether they serve Coke or Pepsi, I will ask for a Coke [or Diet Coke]. If they don’t have it they will usually just ask if Pepsi is okay. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/12 "2021-06-13T18:36:37Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > It reinforces the brand and opens an establishment up to lawsuits if they serve something different than what the customer ordered. Shortly after WWII a friend of my dad had what you might call a secret shopper position. He would walk into a bar and order a rum and Coca Cola. Sometime while nursing the drink he’d pour down a funnel into a plastic bag a sample then after leaving the bar would seal it, put on a label identifying where it came from, and mail it off to Atlanta. If analysis showed that it was not Coke, the bar would get a letter. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/13 "2021-06-13T18:42:00Z")
After being diluted with rum what would tell them for sure that it was Coca Cola and not some other cola? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/14 "2021-06-13T18:52:08Z")
The cocaine. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/15 "2021-06-13T19:11:10Z")
I can’t imagine any situation where it’s better to give something they didn’t order, rather than ask for clarification. The situation where I could see it being a bit more complicated is in those places where “coke” is the generic word for soda, and Coca-Cola _is_ available. Then you might want to confirm that they actually want the Coca-Cola and not some other soda. But then I’d bet they’d just say “Coca-Cola?” to confirm. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/16 "2021-06-13T22:11:56Z")
I also disagree with the OP. There are regions in the United States where “Coke” is the local, generic vernacular for ‘cola,’ just like “Kleenex” is genericized vernacular for a facial tissue. _Diet coke_ would mean a _diet cola,_ irrespective of brand. Tripler I’ll just have a liter of cola. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/17 "2021-06-13T22:18:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I expect this response- “I’m sorry, but we don’t have Coke-is Diet Pepsi o.k.?” Same. I’m confused why it’s not an option in the poll. ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/18 "2021-06-13T22:20:58Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Same. I’m confused why it’s not an option in the poll What do you think “ask if you want Pepsi” means? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/19 "2021-06-13T22:22:11Z")
I think it means “do you want Pepsi instead of Diet Coke”. Diet Pepsi and Pepsi are different things. ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176/20 "2021-06-13T22:23:25Z")
Pepsi is the umbrella term for the brand name. Full sugar and diet and max are all sub varieties of Pepsi. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-into-a-bar-serving-pepsi-ask-for-diet-coke/944176.md?page=2)