Mexican Coke vs. Pepsi Retro: Future soft drink war?

Mexican Coke is one of the hottest recent discoveries for foodies in the U.S., even up in Nebraska. The secret is in the ingredients. Mexican Coke uses sugar as its sweetener and U.S. coke uses corn syrup. The taste difference is stark, but absurdly, Coke world headquarters insists there is none. Any good Mexican food joint in L.A. will carry its home-nation's Coke in those sparkling Spanish-covered glass bottles, an excellent choice to accompany a torta or huarache. I'm happy to report that Mexican Coke is just as tasty and satisfying in its natural environment. Here Coke is so popular Mexicans are known to have it with their breakfast. (It actually does go well with eggs and beans.)

Now, what can we expect with the onslaught of something they're calling Pepsi Retro, new and for now available only in Mexico? I haven't seen it for sale anywhere, but if Pepsi Retro makes like an immigrant and crosses the border, will there be a taste-testers' defection?

* Hat tip, Mi blog es tu blog.

Comments

[Melissa Sanchez]

I only drink Coke in Mexico, usually con pan dulce for breakfast. They sell it here out of plastic bags with a straw, so you don't have to worry about returning the bottle. I didn't see any of that last time I was in Mexico, do they still do that?

[susie]

mexican coke is the bf's absolute FAVORITE drink. he's going to be thrilled to see you gave a shout out.

[richard]

@Melissa: I remember spending summers in Guatemala as a kid with my step-father's family and drinking copious amounts of soda out of plastic bags. But with the Mexican side of my family in El Paso, TX, my tia would bring four crates of soda from Juarez every few weeks, and we drank straight from the bottle.

I never understood the preference for plastic bags over bottles in C.A.; there was always the subtext of hygeine involved with my family's motivations. But drinking out of plastic bags?

At any rate, I loves me the Mexican coke. I'm not quite sure what Pepsi retro really means, as far as consuming soft drinks is concerned.

[Yannina Thomassiny]

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[lainie]

this is so true! i have been telling friends this since i realized why there was a difference in taste. i think this also applies to USA vs. other chocolates. cadbury has something special...that is...sugar!

[luis]

Ok, I JUST got back from the Mother Land and while over there I saw Pepsi Retro for sale at a store. I bought 3 of them and right away opened one of them. Talk about a failure. It tastes like medicine or some kind of herb tea. This will never be popular in Mexico. Nobody seemed to like it and I do not blame them. I will keep the other 2 bottles I bought for my collection. Oh and as for Richard's comment about drinking Coke from plastic bags- this is done when you do not have an empty bottle to trade in. Remember over there the bottles are returnable. You are actually buying only the drink, not the bottle.

[Achaessa]

I live on the northwest edge of Mexico City - conoces Atizapan? - and my sister-in-law carries Pepsi Retro in her little tienda downstairs. Nobody buys it because it tastes like water so she told the Pepsi guy she wouldn't stock it.

We do, however, love the Pepsi Retro commercial at the local CineMex- it made it so easy to explain the Grateful Dead movement to my in-laws. ;o)

Oh, and, yeah, the recipes are different all over the world - Canadian Dr. Pepper is the absolute BEST!

[Daniel H.]

Hilarious... I gotta go check out Atizapan.

PS I did a "taste-test" comparing Pepsi Retro to regular Mexican Coca Cola over at LA Daily.

http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/letter-from-mexico-city/mexican-coke-vs-pepsi-retro-pa/

[CK Dexter Haven]

Coke is also made with sugar in Brazil.

It's shockingly absurd that we have corn syrup in the US, and even more absurd if Coke insists there's no taste difference.

I recently saw a commercial (May 2009) for a 'retro' Pepsi with sugar, and i can't wait to get my hands on some....

[Rob]

I've seen the Mexican version of coke at the local HEB store, and I'm glad to see another soda without HFCS, but the only problem is the price: it's incredibly expensive.