Mexican Coke

In the United States of America, Mexican Coke (Spanish: Coca Cola de México) or, informally, "MexiCoke", refers to Coca-Cola produced in and imported from Mexico.

Although intended for consumption in Mexico, Mexican Coca-Cola has become very popular in the United States because of a flavor that Coca-Cola fans call "a lot more natural tasting". While many believe the primary difference in flavor between Mexican Coca-Cola and the American Coca-Cola formula is that Mexican Coke is sweetened using cane sugar as opposed to high-fructose corn syrup, a scientific analysis of Mexican Coke found no sucrose (standard sugar) in its sample of Mexican Coke, but instead found fructose and glucose levels similar to other soft drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. Mexican Coke exported to the United States is made with cane sugar, while some Mexican bottlers may use high-fructose corn syrup for drinks intended for sale in Mexico. Therefore, while Coca-Cola labeled "Mexican" in the U.S. is made with cane sugar, not all Coca-Cola sold in Mexico is.

Coca-Cola opened its first bottling franchise in Mexico in the 1920s with Grupo Tampico, and then Grupo ARMA.Monterrey-based FEMSA is currently the largest Coca-Cola bottler in Mexico, along with most of Latin America.

In 2013, a Mexican Coca-Cola bottler announced it would stop using cane sugar in favor of glucose-fructose syrup. It later clarified this change would not affect those bottles especially exported to the United States as "Coca-Cola Nostalgia" products.

Results from taste tests have been mixed. In a taste test conducted by a local Westchester, New York magazine, tasters noted that the Mexican Coke had "a more complex flavor with an ineffable spicy and herbal note", and that it contained something "that darkly hinted at root beer or old-fashioned sarsaparilla candies".

However, participants in a different double-blind taste test overwhelmingly preferred American Coca-Cola. Participants in taste tests conducted by Coca-Cola reported no perceptible differences in flavor between American Coke and the Mexican formulation.

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Wikipedia