Coca-Cola (Coca-Cola)

Member Name: Lichfield1979

Product:	Coca-Cola
Date:	15/09/08 (144 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Always Coca-Cola

Disadvantages: Coke II

Coca-Cola

John Stith Pemberton's 19th century recipe was originally marketed as a medicinal tonic that could cure opium and morphine addiction, although it contained caffeine and cocaine itself, and he saw it as a non-alcoholic alternative to coca-wine, just in case prohibition ever came about in the United States.

Today the Coca-Cola Company is still based in Atlanta, Georgia, but the ingredients of the world's best selling soft drink are more benign, even if one of its manufacturers is the only commercial enterprise licensed by the DFA to import coca leaves into the country - the cocaine is extracted and sold to a legitimate pharmaceutical company, while the hundred metric tonnes of mostly Peruvian but sometimes Bolivian dried coca leaves is sold to Coca-Cola. The caffeine comes from kola nuts, which are also used for their flavouring. Coca-Cola refuses to disclose the exact formula it uses to manufacture the drink, though that has hardly stopped imitators. The company produces only syrup in-house and sells this to bottling franchises worldwide which create the actual beverage itself. The main ingredients added at this stage are water and sugar. These franchises then ship to retail outlets and vending machine operators and bars and restaurants.

Coca-Cola's logo dates back to 1885 and its familiar contoured bottle was innovated in 1915. Today it has a marketing budget of roughly two billion dollars annually and is arguably the best known brand-name of any kind worldwide. It's also sold by franchises of that other behemoth, McDonalds. Both companies attract fierce criticism for a variety of valid reasons but are enduringly popular because their products meet consumers' requirements for price and quality. Concerns tend to be aired most vocally regarding agricultural and manufacturing practises by franchises in the third world, aggressive marketing to a young demographic, and the dubious health effects of drinking lots of caffeine and sugar. Concerns regarding its acidity are generally known to be ill founded, although understandable, if you've ever seen a copper coin left to stand in the liquid overnight.

In the UK Coca-Cola is most likely to be consumed in 330ml cans, 500ml bottles, and pint and half-pint glasses. The drink is dark coloured and bubbly and has a sweet and fizzy taste that will blossom in the throat a little if you try and guzzle it. It is best served ice cold.

Summary: The Cold, Crisp Taste of Coke