Mexican Coke Trafficking

[jhlurie]

Here's a Mexican Coke story from the AP which I don't think has been linked yet: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20...1b9mexcoke.html

[TongoRad]

Is this difference limited to Mexican Coke? Lately I've been getting Coke at this Roti shop in Queens that has been imported from the Carribean (I'll have to check the label next time for exactly where), and it lists 'sucrose' as an ingredient, as opposed to 'high fructose corn syrup'. I've been wondering why they would sell island Coke but I guess it makes a difference.

[glenn]

A store by me (Jersey City) sells coke from Ecuador and it's made with sugar cane. As far as fructose vs. sucrose, they both sound pretty dismal to me :)

[TongoRad]

As far as fructose vs. sucrose, they both sound pretty dismal to me :)

Homebrewer Geek Mode:

That may be true, but the way I understand it sucrose and cane sugar are one and the same. It is a disaccharide (two sugars joined together) as opposed to fructose which is a monosaccharide. The disaccharide will taste less cloying, or sweet, on the palate.

The important part, I suppose, is that the imported Coke just seems to taste better.

[cstuart]

I found a bottle of the Mexican made coke in a corner market a few blocks from my house:

At $1.35, I think it was a little more expensive(I don't normally drink soda), but I liked it more than the last coke I had. Maybe next time I'll do a side-by-side taste test.

[glenn]

At $1.35, I think it was a little more expensive(I don't normally drink soda), but I liked it more than the last coke I had.  Maybe next time I'll do a side-by-side taste test.

←

Do we really think $1.35 is expensive? Sounds pretty cheap. I was finally able to score 20 cases of mexican coke, pepsi, fanta, etc - it cost almost 90 cents a bottle. I know the distributor I got it from is a little more expensive than the others, but not by much. I was thinking of selling it for $1.75. But now you have me worried.

[fchrisgrimm]

$1.25 at Los Portales in Norwalk, CT (Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Squirt, Fanta, et. al.). Also a source for homemade tortilla chips!

[fauxtarga]

I didn't get a chance to read through all the articles but I was under the impression that the main reason why US Coke/other soda is made with corn syrup was because of the tariffs that make imported sugar expensive. I could be wrong, but my understanding was that this was to prop up the domestic corn and sugar industries.

http://www.popsoda.com seems like it carries the Mexican Coke, but Pepsi bullied them into not selling their stuff. Mexican Coke is great, but I'm off it primarily because of the greatness of Boylans Sugar Cane Cola.

[Jason Perlow]

Boylan's Cane Cola definitely is a very good product, and I reccomend it heartily.

[rhiannonstone]

Boylan's Cane Cola definitely is a very good product, and I reccomend it heartily.

←

The ice cream shop I used to go to in Cambridge, MA sold Boylan's Cane Cola, and I was excited to try it because I love sugar cane sodas for both the taste and the lack of HFCS. But when I finally got around to trying it, I was disappointed--it tastes like rootbeer! And I can't stand rootbeer! :(

[Jason Perlow]

Boylan's Cane Cola definitely is a very good product, and I reccomend it heartily.

←

The ice cream shop I used to go to in Cambridge, MA sold Boylan's Cane Cola, and I was excited to try it because I love sugar cane sodas for both the taste and the lack of HFCS. But when I finally got around to trying it, I was disappointed--it tastes like rootbeer! And I can't stand rootbeer! :(

←

Its got other botanicals in it and stuff that give it a unique flavor. It doesn't taste like Mexican Coca Cola or even a classic cola formulation, it tastes like what it tastes like.

[jhlurie]

Boylan's Cane Cola definitely is a very good product, and I reccomend it heartily.

←

BCC ROCKS, in fact. Actually, the whole genre of botanical flavored colas is a trend I tend to like. Cola should include more than just sugar, although if it HAS sugar it should be SUGAR and not icky icky Corn Syrup.

[LNorman]

I found Boylans Sugar Cane Cola in an Italian deli in Denville, NJ (Main Street). I was really excited to try it. I was disappointed with the taste. I guess my tongue has been tainted by too much (high frutose corn syrup) Pepsi (NO DIET!).

*Still amazes me how servers assume that I want diet soda because I'm female.

[KOK]

The Kosher for Passover Coke (and Pepsi) is usually readily available in most bigger cities, but it comes in two liter plastic bottles. Dr. Brown's, which is always kosher also sells K for P soda for the holiday (and the Black Cherry tastes much better at Passover).

Last year my cousin brought me a six pack of K for P Coke in cans that she got in Teaneck, NJ, and I think large cities (NY, Chicago) and cities with big Jewish populations get the Coke in cans as well as two liter bottles. The two liter 'sugar' Coke tastes better to me than the year round Coke.

Thanks,

Kevin

[scordelia]

Few products are as closely associated with the American lifestyle as Coca-Cola. Yet there appears to be growing demand among US cola connoisseurs for foreign-made Coke, which has real sugar and costs more than the everyday variety made with high-fructose corn syrup.

←

Have not tried foreign coke, but I prefer foreign tonic water because of the cane sugar--much smoother taste, the quinine comes through better.

Does anyone know if you can get foreign tonic?

Edited April 14, 2005 by scordelia (log)

[Jason Perlow]

The Kosher for Passover Coke (and Pepsi) is usually readily available in most bigger cities, but it comes in two liter plastic bottles.  Dr. Brown's, which is always kosher also sells K for P soda for the holiday (and the Black Cherry tastes much better at Passover).

Last year my cousin brought me a six pack of K for P Coke in cans that she got in Teaneck, NJ, and I think large cities (NY, Chicago) and cities with big Jewish populations get the Coke in cans as well as two liter bottles.  The two liter 'sugar' Coke tastes better to me than the year round Coke.

Thanks,

Kevin

←

Today I spotted Kosher for Passover Coke in 2-Liter bottles at the local supermarket here in NJ, and bought a few of them. Their only distinctive mark is that they have yellow caps instead of the regular white or red caps, and they have the OU-P symbol on the top. Otherwise, you can't tell the difference in packaging, even the labelling is the same, with the same ingredients list including corn syrup (even though we know this stuff is all sugar) and the bottles were mixed in with the regular ones.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Note that in other metro areas besides NY/NJ/CT, the yellow caps might have actual Hebrew writing on them to distinguish. A thread on BevNET has some other photos (click)

BTW, I would also like to remind our Pesadich Pop seekers that KFP U-bet, the ultimate chocolate syrup in the world, ideal for Chocolate Cokes and making egg creams, is also abundant at this time of year, and it's the only time I buy it because the corn syrup version is inferior.

[Jason Perlow]

It appears that under certain "Circumstances" Corn Syrup is OK to use as a sweetner in Kosher for Passover Products:

http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askrabb...chcornsyrup.htm

I certainly hope this is not the case with Kosher Coke. I'll have to open one up and try some.

[Jason Perlow]

Whew. I opened up the bottle, and tasted some. The Real Thing.

[glenn]

Any idea where they were bottled? I have to assume it wasn't in the US since domestic bottlers aren't equipped to use The Real Thing.

[Jason Perlow]

As I understand virtually all Kosher Coke is made in the NY metro area by smaller bottlers who ARE equipped to handle it. Some is also made in the Chicago area.

[jess mebane]

Dr Pepper in Waco is still made with granulated sugar,

←

That'd be Imperial Pure Cane Sugar, friend. And from Dublin, TX, not Waco, I believe.

[glenn]

Why mexican coke is gray market? -- One distributor told me the reason the authorities hassled him was because the bottled coke was known to explode. I let it go and paid it no nevermind. Then it happened to us. We were rinsing the bottles with warm water to get the stupid label off that incorrectly listed ingredients such as corn syrup (it's a mystery why they put it on) and the bottle burst in pieces. Fortunately, no one was injured. Apparently, there really is a safety issue. Now I'm rethinking stocking it. Definitely no more warm water rinsing.

[daman]

Why mexican coke is gray market?  -- One distributor told me the reason the authorities hassled him was because the bottled coke was known to explode.  I let it go and paid it no nevermind.  Then it happened to us.  We were rinsing the bottles with warm water to get the stupid label off that incorrectly listed ingredients such as corn syrup (it's a mystery why they put it on) and the bottle burst in pieces.  Fortunately, no one was injured.  Apparently, there really is a safety issue.  Now I'm rethinking stocking it.  Definitely no more warm water rinsing.

←

The easiest way to remove the label that I have found it to refriderate the bottles. Once the bottles are cold it is very easy to peel the labels off. They practically fall off.

The only problem I have had is co-workers asking me to pick them up some the next time I go back to the store. I buy a case every week just for other people.

It's definitely good stuff! Just wish it was cheaper.

[Jason Perlow]

Recently, while purchasing some foodstuffs from a local Mexican bodega, I came across another soft drink that is also likely to share space with my Mexican Coke -- Mexican FRESCA. Apparently, Mexican-ized Fresca is a relatively new import into the US, at least in the NY metro area.

While American Fresca is a diet soda, its Mexican cousin is not -- its made with cane sugar, like Mexican Coke is.

I like it a lot -- if you're looking for a great grapefruit flavored soda, this is the one.

Mexicans seem to really like Grapefruit in soft drinks. In addition to Fresca, they've got Jarritos Toronja -- which is also pretty good. I also think Squirt, which is traditionally a Lemon/Lime flavor, has some Grapefruit in the Mexican version. Mexican Squirt is also a pretty kickass soda in and of itself.

[M.X.Hassett]

Jason since I am pretty local to you could you share the location of this Bodega. The one thing that has always turned me off to Fresca is the artificial sweetner.

Back on topic: Mexican Coke rocks.