May 2, 2007
SFist Photo: Mexican Coke at the Costco
Dios Mio! What did we see at the original urban wholesale-type big box in San Francisco but Coca Cola straight outta Mexicali. The reason why Mexicoke has a cult following here in the U.S. is the use of old-school sugar from cane, as opposed to the sweetener used by American bottlers these days: corn syrup. Some say that Coke is Coke, so whichever sweetener used doesn't matter. Others strongly disagree - they feel that the Coke hecho'ed en Mexico tastes like what Americans drank in the long long ago, back before 1985's New Coke/Coca Cola II Project Kansas debacle, back when sugar was the sweetener used by all U.S. bottlers.
Costco has conformed to CA and U.S. rules, such as CRV (the sort-of deposit you pay for the bottle) and "nutrition" labeling, so everything appears to be nice and legal. Of course you could always get your sugar water fix at some smaller grocers or taquerias by buying surprisingly expensive "bootlegged" bottles one at a time, but Costco will let Cokeheads stock up by the case at a relatively low price. You can read what Coke corporate HQ in Hotlanta, GA thinks of the importation of Coke from south of the border in an excellent article h'yuh. So, check it out. Or not. Tome whatever you want, we don't care.
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sweet, sweet nectar of the gods.
Cafe Bean on Sutter (near Union Square/Tendernob) has been serving Mexicoke for awhile now.
Mexican Coke rules. All other Coke pales in comparison. Viva la Mexicoke!
Every Coke-a-holic knows that you can get the real deal sugar Coca Cola at Passover time in many supermarkets. Regular Coke made today with corn syrup is not kosher for Passover. Look for it in the Jewish food section, and read the contents - no corn syrup! It's for real!
Er... isn't Mexicoke made with MexiWATER? I'll stick with Coke Zero... tastes more like original stuff than the corn syrup crap and doesn't make me... well.. crap.
I will pay 20% more for low volume consumption items like catchup, relish etc that use sugar instead of corn syrup. But I never ever buy high volume consumption items like soft drinks with corn syrup no matter what.
The corn lobby in the US is worse than the arms lobby. Even the ethanol doesn't make any sense when you factor in all the costs and its own hidden impacts.
Fact is it is not the taste of corn syrup but that it metabolizes differently. it i more likely to trigger diabetes and more likely to make you overweight than th same caloric count of cane or beet sugar in a drink.
You can still get Dr Pepper made from cane sugar down in Texas. Dublin Dr. Pepper they call it.
I believe it. I never had mexican coke. But have been drinking Italian coke since I was a kid. My papa says its the water,that makes it taste better. American coke is still pretty good, but if there was a choice, I'd stick with Italian coke.
Any word on what specific Bay Area outlets the Mexicoke is available at?
Hmm... when I lived in Kansas you could easily find Mexican Coke and often Sprite in the ethnic foods aisle of pretty much every grocery store and this was in a smallish college town.
Incidentally I was at the South San Francisco Costco the other day and didn't see it at all. Must only be in the city.
I just got two cases of Mexican Coke at the Costco in San Leandro, errr, on second thought, nevermind where I got it. That's my own little secret. Just buy it at your local deli.
Nequila: You can find mexi coke at just about any Mexican market in the Mission. The one on the corner of 25th and Mission even has extra large liter bottles.
The best part about Mexican Coke is that it has the old school glass bottles before plastic and aluminum? So, I guess I like Mexican Coke because it brings back memories of the original American Coke.
I just found Mexican Coke at the new Costco in Tustin. I stopped dead in my tracks and stocked up. So gooood.
Dave: no worries on "Mexiwater." Nobody worries about drinking a Negra Modelo or Corona either. In fact, here's a good travel tip -- if you're in Mexico or anywhere else where the water might make gringos sick, stick with Coke (or any other American soft drink) with no ice and you'll be fine.
"I like te mexican coke, but it giv me da shitts???
do that happen to gringos too?
buy-buy!
Haven't most of us been buying Coke from Mexico every weekend?