Does Mexican Coke Really Deserve To Be A Cult-Favorite Soda?

When it comes to people's soda preferences, opinions are often strong, emotionally based, and vehemently defended. Try telling a Mountain Dew fan in Appalachia that it's bad for your health, and you might just have a fight on your hands. And a look back at history, to the "New Coke" debacle of 1985, proves that emotional connection actually beats taste much of the time. Despite winning blind taste tests, New Coke is one of the more famously discontinued sodas. The same, it seems, can be said for the cult following that exists for Mexican Coke.

Just what is Mexican Coke, and why are people so passionate about it? As it states on the label, this version of Coca-Cola is "hecho en," or made in, Mexico. Why would location matter? Because while American Coke is prepared with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) — a 100% glucose sweetener made from corn starch — Coke made in Mexico contains sucrose, or 100% cane sugar. Mexican Coke also comes in a distinctive, curvaceous glass bottle, while American Coke is frequently found in cans or plastic bottles.

Anecdotally, many people swear there's a difference in the sodas' tastes, that Mexican Coke tastes "purer" or that American Coke has a "chemical" taste. Others believe that pure sugar must be healthier or more natural than high-fructose corn syrup. For some, Mexican Coke's glass bottle is simply more appealing to hold and imparts a cleaner, better taste than aluminum or plastic. But as we mentioned earlier, emotional connection usually trumps reason. Here's why Mexican Coke may not deserve its cult-favorite status.

Let's talk about that HFCS, which is made by breaking down corn starch into its individual molecules. Developed in the 1970s to improve flavor and expand shelf life, HFCS now sweetens a large percentage of our food and drink. But as for whether it tastes like chemicals in soda or is less healthy than sugar is still a matter of debate. According to a health expert who writes for The New York Times, there is no difference between a sweetener made from corn and one made from sugar cane. They all have the same number of calories, and in no way is sugar cane's perceived "more natural" quality based in scientific fact.

What about the taste? Interestingly, a taste test conducted in 2023 found there's not much of one. After controlling for factors such as container, quantity of ice, and freshness of the Coke, based purely on taste alone, the testers overwhelmingly preferred American Coke (88.9%). However, when the beverages were randomly placed in glassed bottles and cans, the testers preferred the soda in bottles by 85.7%, believing it was Mexican (even though not all of them were).

Clearly, the feelings associated with drinking out of a glass bottle and the perception of the real sugar give Mexican Coke its cult status, despite the evidence. But if you're one of the people who will continue to go out of your way to find Mexican Coke at little convenient shops or taquerias, rest assured, you are certainly not alone.