Why can't Coca-Cola's secret formula be isolated in a laboratory?

[CaveMike]

@Chronos

Actually, the nasty secret is that of those Coke drinkers who can taste the difference, most (in a blind test) prefer Pepsi. That’s what the whole “New Coke” thing was about: Coke changed their formula to something that most of their consumers thought tasted better. Except it turns out that the label and PR hype is more important than the taste.

Specifically, it is slightly sweeter than Pepsi. IIRC, Coke Classic has 39 grams of sugar in a 12 oz can, Pepsi has 42g and Coke II has 43g.

[CaveMike]

@CalMeacham

“New Coke” was a 1980s monstrosity. I never liked it. They identified “new Coke” with an extra gray line in the “twiddle” on the Coke logo that apes the shape of the classic Coke bottle.

Wasn’t it originally intended to completely replace Coke (and hence the hoarding that you mention)? I thought it wasn’t until the public outcry that Coke Classic was born.

New Coke didn’t die out, it just changed names. In fact, although you can’t get it here, they still make it.

Agreed. It is (or was until recently) available in Chicagoland. It is not uncommon for dead brands to actually exist in local pockets. Coke II and Tab are examples of this.

[duffer]

@GuanoLad

Dynamic Ribbon Device

Nope, it was a twiddle. Though that insults Twiddles based on the abhorrent formula pushed back then.

[Airman_Doors_USAF]

Abhorrent formula? Not hardly. I was all of 9 years old in 1985 and I liked the New Coke very much. I was actually rather disappointed when it didn’t take off and became hard to get. I also liked Crystal Pepsi and Dr Pepper Red Fusion, among others.

Apparently my tastes differ from the rest of the country.