Mexican Coke
Before Monday's Pomona council meeting, I had a bite at Tijuana's Tacos on West Holt at Wisconsin. Good tacos. The beverage part of my repast was a first: a Mexican Coca-Cola.
I'd always heard a Mexican Coke is more potent. It comes in glass bottles and is often found at your more authentic taquerias. Seeing the Coke in the lineup of bottled sodas on the counter, I took the plunge. Even though a 16.9-oz. bottle cost $1.99.
Well, it wasn't a life-changing experience or anything, but the Mexican Coke did go down smooth. A little Internet research shows it's a popular drink up here among soda fanciers of all ethnicities, who are excited it's now sold at Costco. They say the taste is similar to the Cokes some of us grew up drinking because it's sweetened with cane sugar, not the current sweetener, the nutritionally and environmentally dreaded high fructose corn syrup.
Anyone else want to weigh in on Mexican Coke vs. American Coke?
Can't say much about Mexican Coke, since I haven't tried it. But as I'm sure you know, Coca-Cola is bottled all over the world. My wife and I lived in Istanbul, Turkey for 2 years and drank Turkey-bottled coke all the time. This was in 1991-93, and the Coke came in the 16.9 oz bottles way back then. It was good, sweeter because cane sugar was used, but lost its "fizz" very fast. If you left the bottle standing for more than 30 minutes the Coke was flat.
It`s also known as leaded Coke. Bottles made with lead.
[As Homer Simpson would say: "Mmmmm...lead." -- DA]
The cane-sugar version of Coke is (in my opinion) much superior to the fructose or corn-syrup version, but it's not available only in Mexico. I've had it in Europe and the Middle East as well.
Each year shortly before Passover the Coca-Cola Company makes cane-sugar-based Coke available for those keeping kosher for Passover. Coke sweetened with corn syrup (one of the available sweeteners) is grain-based, which is forbidden for the eight-day holiday, so sharp-eyed customers may be able to pick up cane sugar Coke around that time.
[Interesting! Thanks, Debra. -- DA]
David....the Mexican Coke is $1.28 + nickel deposit at Wal-Mart in Upland.
[OK, but I think the tacos are better in Pomona. -- DA]
Galco's Soda Pop Store in Highland Park carries Kosher Coke when it's available and also carries Mexican Coke throughout the year. For those willing to make the drive out to Northeast Los Angeles their website is:
http://www.sodapopstop.com/
[Cool! Thanks, Rod. -- DA]
You can get your Mexican Coke at Sam's also...like $16 a case of 16oz bottles. I bought it at a 99 cents only store for 59 cents a half-liter before...Mexican Coke (or at least Coke made with real sugar) is the bomb.
For a while Coca-Cola was cracking down on that because the bottlers up here were losing out on business because everyone was buying the Mexican stuff out of the carnicerias and amigo stores...I think they just threw up their hands!