Can you taste the difference (Picture: Getty)
As you’re tucking into the likes of a classic Big Mac or another beloved item off the menu, you slurp from your cup and notice that the McDonald’s Coca-Cola doesn’t taste like Coke from a can.
The carbonated bubbles pop differently. It’s less potent and intense, but nowhere near as bland as Diet Coke. It’s not bad, it’s just a different kind of buzz.
As one of the few remaining species who actively reaches for classic, regular Coke rather than Coke Zero or vile Diet Coke, I expect my favourite fizzy drink to taste the same everywhere.
But that’s not the case. People on Reddit and TikTok are convinced that coke from McDonald’s is the best of the best – and they’re onto something.
Unlike the official formula for Coke, which has remained a secret, the fast food chain has been pretty open about why the version of the iconic soft drink it sells is different to the Coke you buy at your local supermarket or corner shop.
McDonald’s released a statement to answer the age-old question: why does Mcdonald’s Coke taste different? It turns out it might be because the ingredients are delivered separately and mixed in a unique way on site.
The statement reads: ‘There are many reasons the Coca-Cola tastes so great at McDonald’s. We simply follow the guidelines set by Coca-Cola and take steps to ensure that we serve a high-quality fountain beverage.
The water and Coca-Cola syrup, the two main components, are shipped to McDonald’s chains separately and mixed afterwards, unlike the drinks you find on shop shelves. ‘The water and Coca-Cola syrup are pre-chilled before entering our fountain dispensers with the ratio of syrup set to allow for ice to melt.
‘We also keep our fountain beverage system cold so your drink is always refreshing. In order to ensure our drinks are always meeting a gold standard, we filter all the water before it enters fountain dispensers.’
A TikToker and former McDonald’s employee named @evilglitterqueen shared a video amid the internet discussions about the taste of Coke sold at the restaurant.
They claimed that the straws are made to be a certain length and width to ensure more bubbles tickle your tongue when you guzzle the Coke, to make it taste even better.
McDonald’s also says that the straw also changes the taste and the drinking experience. ‘There’s also our straw—it’s slightly wider than a typical straw so all that Coke taste can hit your taste buds.’
So, it’s not just your imagination, that’s why it tastes so different.
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It’s not your imagination, Coke from McDonald’s does taste different.