Rant #3,748: The Real Thing

When I drink soda, I like many different soft drinks, but if you ask me my favorite, it has to be Coca-Cola.

And I mean the real thing, not the diet one and not the other versions.

Now, pressed on by President Trump spilling the soda a little early, we now know that Coca-Cola will soon be releasing a sugar-sweetened variety in the U.S.

That is a great development, even though personally, I have cut my soda drinking down by about 90 percent.

But when I drink soda, I do prefer Coke.

Regular Coke hasn't had real sugar in it for years, replaced by high fructose corn syrup, which is OK, but it isn't real sugar--

And you know the difference immediately when you try real sugar-sweetened Coke.

A lot of people don't realize that sugar-sweetened Coke is already available in the U.S., in two varieties: Mexican Coke, which many stores throughout the country sell in limited quantities; and in Kosher-For-Passover Coke, topped by a yellow cap and available in areas with large Jewish populations 

I don't think you wouid be able to get either of these varieties in places like Podunk, Iowa or even in Boisie, but I have been able to get each of these in supermarkets I shop in on Long Island, so I have had sugar-sweetened Coke intermittently in the past.

(High fructose corn syrup cannot be used in Passover Coke because it cannot be made Kosher For Passover, as the ingredient is considered to be leavened, and thus, not suitable for consumption during the holiday, so it is replaced with real sugar, and is available during the spring holiday.)

What's the difference between the high fructose corn syrup and the real sugar Coke?

The use of real sugar makes Coke a bit smoother on the taste buds. The soft drink can often be a little harsh when it goes down, but the sugar just makes it taste a bit better, especially on the initial sip.

This really is a big deal for Coke drinkers, and I know there are people--Jews and non-Jews alike--who stockpile the Passover Coke when it is made available each year.

Now, there might not be a need to do that anymore.

The sugar-sweetened Coke will cost a little more, of course, but I think people will pay the extra money to get this, the best of the Cokes.

And it also extends Coke's shelf space, like adding a new flavor to what is already out there, as the sugsr-sweetened variety is not replacing the regular corn syrup variety, just adding to the line.

And you know that Pepsi--Coke's chief competitor--is watching, and they announced-- almost immediately after Coke's announcement--that they, too, will have a sugar-sweetened variety out soon.

So whether anyone needs the extra sugar in their diets or not, Coke--and Pepsi--will have sugar-sweetened drinks out soon.

It is not a cliche to say that this revelation is oh so sweet--

As Jackie Gleason used to say--

"How sweet it is!"