NOTE THIS IS FOR PEOPLE WHO DO DRINK COLAS WITH THEIR MEAL. I DON’T CARE IF YOU DRINK NEITHER
Thanks to the Coke/Pepsi Wars most restaurants exclusively serve one cola or the other. But I’m curious, are there people who if told they don’t have Coke and if Pepsi is okay, they refuse and just don’t drink a cola, or vice versa?
I feel most people if choosing to drink a soda with their meal will automatically choose what’s available even if they do have a preference. I’m the same, I actually prefer Pepsi but a Coke is completely fine since most places have it and I don’t really care that much. My only line in the sand is Cherry Coke vs Cherry Pepsi. I don’t like Cherry Coke’s taste so if I ask for a Cherry soda and they only serve Coke and Cherry Coke, I’ll just drink a regular Coke.
I’m not brand-picky. I’m just happy if the staff gets DH’s sugar-free right (he’s diabetic). I’ve developed a habit of taking a tiny sip of his drink to verify that it tastes like diet/sugar-free/zero sugar.
If they don’t have coke, only Pepsi, I’ll order a clear soda like 7up, Sprite, or even ginger ale; whatever they have. I don’t really have a preference among those.
In the days of normal sugared cola, I had preferences but largely wasn’t picky.
With diet colas I can be picky. Some of them simply suck ass (to me). As an example for me Coke Zero is okay, Diet Coke is not - if the choice is Diet Coke or crab juice to go with my Khlav Kalash, I’ll generally go with the crab juice.
My Beloved does the same thing for me-If she shudders I know it is o.k. for me to drink it. As far as preference goes, I prefer Coke Zero but I will take Diet Pepsi, but never Diet Coke.
I love Diet Coke (I find that regular Coke feels too syrupy unless diluted with rum). If a restaurant only has Diet Pepsi I’ll switch to sparkling water or club soda.
Pepsi was sweeter, Coke more bitter sweet I guess. I may have been served Pepsi from time to time without my knowing it, but I could tell the difference back when I was drinking a lot of cola. Now I don’t drink cola. I dropped colas altogether over a decade ago.
I do still drink Root Beer, Ginger Ale and Ginger Beer. Occasionally a Sprite or 7-Up. But mostly water or beer with Ice Tea coming in third. And of course a mug of coffee every morning.
Had a friend who would ask for diet brown soda, he pretty much didn’t care.
I don’t really drink soda enough to have a preference, but it needs to be diet - in a pinch I will drink water if they have no diet. I do not like commercial ice tea - I might ask for the cup of hot water to use my own tea bags, and I bring powdered lemon juice with me also.
Now, one might consider which non-nutritive sweetener is in use by the manufacturer as the determining factor as to which brands are suitable - AceK has a hot vinyl in sun sort of mouth/nose sensing, stevia has a green liquorice backtaste, cyclamates can be bitter if you are a ‘taster’. I find equal and splenda acceptable, I prefer splenda to equal which does have a very slight chemical taste to it.
Well, actually, I usually opt for either Dr. Pepper or Mt. Dew, depending on my mood(and not all places that have Pepsi have Dr. Pepper), but I do notice a very distinct difference between Coke and Pepsi, Pepsi is too cloyingly sweet, and leaves an unpleasant aftertaste.
What I don’t appreciate are the times when they take my order for Coke, and just give me a Pepsi without warning. Though that happens far less frequently now than it used to.