# If I wanted to taste the Real Thing of, say, the 40s or 50s ..... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 30, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-to-taste-the-real-thing-of-say-the-40s-or-50s/787736 "2017-05-30T20:53:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-to-taste-the-real-thing-of-say-the-40s-or-50s/787736/1 "2017-05-30T20:53:20Z")
… which sort of Coke should I buy today and where? In other words which concoction of Coke sold today anywhere in the world approaches the genuine taste of a 40s Coca-Cola? Or isn’t there one? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-to-taste-the-real-thing-of-say-the-40s-or-50s/787736/2 "2017-05-30T21:02:02Z")
[Mexican Coke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Coke) is very popular around here. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-to-taste-the-real-thing-of-say-the-40s-or-50s/787736/3 "2017-05-30T21:02:31Z")
Food purists would say that [Coke bottled in Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Coke) is closer to the Real Thing because it is made with cane sugar, rather than the high fructose corn syrup that Coca Cola switched to back during the dark times of New Coke. However, the linked wiki page indicates that tests on a sample of Mexican Coke showed no cane sugar, but fructose, just like good ol’ American Coke. Check the label at your local store (might need to find an actual Mexican supermarket) and see if it lists cane sugar. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-to-taste-the-real-thing-of-say-the-40s-or-50s/787736/4 "2017-05-30T21:11:42Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Food purists would say that [Coke bottled in Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Coke) is closer to the Real Thing because it is made with cane sugar, rather than the high fructose corn syrup that Coca Cola switched to back during the dark times of New Coke. > > However, the linked wiki page indicates that tests on a sample of Mexican Coke showed no cane sugar, but fructose, just like good ol’ American Coke. Check the label at your local store (might need to find an actual Mexican supermarket) and see if it lists cane sugar. You have to read the article more carefully: > [@](#): > > Mexican Coke exported to the United States is made with cane sugar, while some Mexican bottlers may use high-fructose corn syrup for drinks intended for sale in Mexico.[4] Therefore, while Coca-Cola labeled “Mexican” in the U.S. is made with cane sugar, not all Coca-Cola sold in Mexico is. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-to-taste-the-real-thing-of-say-the-40s-or-50s/787736/5 "2017-05-30T21:22:08Z")
I like “Mexican Coke,” and if you’re aDr. Pepper or Mt. Dew fan, you can also find those made with cane sugar. The difference in Pepper is notable. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-to-taste-the-real-thing-of-say-the-40s-or-50s/787736/6 "2017-05-30T21:49:44Z")
During the spring, check for Kosher for Passover Coke, which doesn’t use corn syrup. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-to-taste-the-real-thing-of-say-the-40s-or-50s/787736/7 "2017-05-30T21:53:08Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You have to read the article more carefully: Et tu, John. > [@](#): > > While many believe the primary difference in flavor between Mexican Coca-Cola and the American Coca-Cola formula is that Mexican Coke is sweetened using cane sugar as opposed to high-fructose corn syrup, a scientific analysis of Mexican Coke found no sucrose (standard sugar) in its sample of Mexican Coke, but instead found fructose and glucose levels similar to other soft drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-to-taste-the-real-thing-of-say-the-40s-or-50s/787736/8 "2017-05-30T22:58:56Z")
In Trinidad, they use cane sugar, grown there. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-to-taste-the-real-thing-of-say-the-40s-or-50s/787736/9 "2017-05-31T00:42:23Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Et tu, John. That’s because they did the test IN MEXICO. The stuff they export to the US uses cane sugar. That was the point of reading carefully, _amigo_! Having said that, the article is poorly written. One should not HAVE to read so carefully to get to the bottom of the issue. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-wanted-to-taste-the-real-thing-of-say-the-40s-or-50s/787736/10 "2017-05-31T00:59:10Z")
Here’s a good taste test article from 2011 - [The Food Lab, Drinks Edition: Is Mexican Coke Better?](http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/09/the-food-lab-drinks-edition-is-mexican-coke-better-than-regular-coke-coke-taste-test-coke-vs-mexican-coke.html) It confirms my suspicion that most people prefer Mexican Coke because they want to prefer Mexican Coke.