There’s been a war raging for years. A battle that knows no end. Sides have been chosen and families have been torn apart. What is the reason for this turmoil? Obviously it’s the never ending feud between Coke fans and Pepsi aficionados. But they’re both colas. Why do we have to choose one and, more importantly, are they really any different? Can’t we just have Crystal Pepsi instead?
Who could we possibly turn to for answers? Well, Malcolm Gladwell of all people. He decided to take on the differences between Coke and Pepsi in his new book. According to the New York Times best-selling author, there’s a really obvious and simple reason we choose sides in the cola war. It all comes to down the flavor of the two sodas. No, they aren’t the same flavor and there’s a reason that Pepsi seems sweeter than Coke.
According to The Mirror, in Gladwell’s new book, he writes, “Pepsi is sweeter than Coke, so right away it had a big advantage in a sip test.” He goes on to say that Pepsi is known to have more of a citrus-flavor and Coke has more of a Vanilla taste. “But that burst tends to dissipate over the course of an entire can. Pepsi, in short, is a drink built to shine in a sip test.”
Taking a look at the nutritional facts: Pepsi has a lot less sodium per can (15 milligrams to Coke’s 45). That alone could impact the taste. And, surprisingly, even though it appears much sweeter, Pepsi barely has any more sugar than Coke (41 grams to Coke’s 39). Pepsi also contains slightly more calories. But it all comes down to this: Do you want a smoother taste? Then go with Coke (maybe one from McDonald’s, where they taste best?). Feeling like you could use a small zap of flavor instead? Then reach for an ice cold “is Pepsi okay?” and embrace its citrusy embrace.
So, we finally know the difference (flavor-wise) between Coke and Pepsi. Will that change the way you think of these two brands? Does it even matter? Probably not. Few of us really care if we order a Coke at a restaurant and all they have is Pepsi and vice-versa. Most of us have other things to worry about. Like, do we want a regular Bloomin’ Onion or a Bloomin’ Onion with French fries, cheese, bacon, and steak.
