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US Coca-Cola and Mexican Coca-Cola

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We’re not going to take sides in the eternal competition between Coke and Pepsi. Nor are we about to re-ignite the bottle-versus-the-can debate or revisit the New Coke versus Coke Classic controversy. But we ARE going to venture into a story every bit as volatile. This one pits Coke that’s made and bottled in Mexico against Coke from the USA. Rob Walker, who writes the “Consumed” column for The New York Times, came down on the side of Mexican coke this week. Marco Werman discusses the differences today.

• New York Times article
• Facebook: Mexican Coke fan page

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MARCO WERMAN: We’re not going to take sides in the eternal competition between Coke and Pepsi nor are we about to reignite the bottle versus the can debate or revisit the new Coke versus coke Classic controversy but we are going to venture into a story every bit as volatile. This one pits Coca-Cola that’s made and bottled in Mexico against Coca-Cola from the US. Rob Walker wrote about this issue in his consumed column for the New York Times this week. And Rob please tell us which side you came down on.

ROB WALKER: Well I cam out pretty firmly as an admitted member of the Mexican Coke cult.

WERMAN: Okay. Before the facts tell us why you came down on the Mexican Coke side of things?

WALKER: It was years ago, very much by chance. I just happened to notice a glass bottle of Coke and I thought well you know nostalgia that kind of thing. I’ll pick one of these up. And I was like yeah it’s very refreshing. And then it became sort of a habit and then someone told me that’s the Coke from Mexico which is better. And I just sort of accepted that and remain a devotee.

WERMAN: And with all these thousands of members now on this Mexican Coke Facebook page do you think it’s a taste thing or is it a retro foody thing?

WALKER: I think it’s probably, as is often the case, a combination of things that some of which are based in reality and some of which are based in our heads. The big rational factor that everyone points is that the version of Coke that’s bottled in Mexico is made with cane sugar not corn syrup as is pretty much always the case in the United States.

WERMAN: And then there are some people who feel that the taste is due to the fact that in Mexico they use glass bottles and here it’s, for the most part, it’s all plastic. Is that … ?

WALKER: Well this was my original theory in my head long before I was ever going to write anything about it. But I thought like well it’s just the glass. And interestingly someone looked into this. Popular Science I guess looked into this and did their own sort of investigation I guess of just the materials issue. And they did conclude, somewhat tentatively, that there could be some minor difference on he margins because glass is the most inert material I guess is the way they put it. Meaning that glass really doesn’t transmit one way or the other any kind of taste. So that was my theory for a long time.

WERMAN: Are there to your knowledge other kind of global variations on Coke like is the Nepalese version … ? How does that taste?

WALKER: You know I tried to go down this road with the folks for Coca Cola who was getting a little tired of me at this point and you know he said look it’s a very far flung operation. The sweetener does vary by region which in and of itself I thought was kind of fascinating because you know you’re sort of brought up with the idea of the secret formula of Coke. Who knew that you could actually have slight variations on it? But apparently the sweetener does vary. They pretty much told me just by economics, whether it’s beet sugar, corn syrup, or cane sugar. Just depending on what’s the most economical decision for the bottler to make in whatever region of the world it is.

WERMAN: And then there’s the esthetic difference my producer thinks. And I have to agree with her that the tall and thin Mexican half-liter glass bottle is far more elegant than the fat, chubby plastic 20-ounce American bottle.

WALKER: Couldn’t agree more. Couldn’t agree more. Strongly agree.

WERMAN: Maybe it tastes better because it looks better.

WALKER: Well I actually think that you know I mean the psychology does matter. It matters to your experience of something. And if you bring to it a kind of positive mindset I actually believe that that makes a difference.

WERMAN: Well let’s delve into the science here. My producer has brought me two Styrofoam cups; they’re not glass I have to say. It’s two Styrofoam cups. One has Mexican Coke in it and the other has US Coke. And I’m going to taste them now and let’s see if I can tell the difference between sugar and corn syrup.

WALKER: Do you have a prediction?

WERMAN: My prediction is that I’m not going to know. We’ll see. Alright here’s cup A. Mmm okay. Hang on. Here’s number two. Mmm. I’m going to say number two is the Mexican Coke. I’m going to look under the cup. That’s cup B. Which is that? Oh cup B is American I am told by Adele in the control room. So I was right, I got it wrong. I predicted correctly.

WALKER: Well now here’s your excuse. As defense of the Coca Cola Company they did tell me that all of their research – and you have to believe that they have researched this – they tell me that people cannot actually perceive a taste difference when they don’t know what the context is.

WERMAN: The consumer’s always right. Rob Walker who wrote about the differences between US and Mexican Coke in his Consumed column in the New York Times and also author of Buying In. Thank you very much Rob.

WALKER: Thank you Marco.

[MUSIC]

WERMAN: So many songs about beverages today.

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