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It is a common belief that the Coca Cola drink tastes different in glass bottles:

This leads to a skeptical question: does Coca Cola actually taste in a different way when served from a glass bottle?

JonathanReez
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    [You would expect it to taste differently](http://www.flavourjournal.com/content/pdf/2044-7248-2-21.pdf). – Count Iblis Sep 12 '15 at 16:47
  • From or in a glass bottle? – bdsl Sep 15 '15 at 07:00
  • @bdsl in/from a glass bottle sealed by Coca-Cola. – JonathanReez Sep 15 '15 at 08:49
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    I mean are you talking about drinking directly from the bottle, or after decanting the drink into a glass? If it's from the bottle then things like the direct taste and feel of the glass on the mouth and the way the liquid pours out of it may be relevant. – bdsl Sep 15 '15 at 09:27
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    @bdsl most claims relate to drinking Cola served from a glass bottle into a glass, as is usually done in restaurants. – JonathanReez Sep 15 '15 at 09:32
  • An avenue of investigation could be where the glass bottles are manufactured and bottled (for instance, Mexico), and that the ingredients for the soda might come from different sources (even if the recipe is the same). Different source materials could *possibly* affect the end flavor. –  Sep 18 '15 at 21:04
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    Related: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/3000/does-the-container-that-soda-is-in-affect-the-flavour –  Sep 18 '15 at 21:18

2 Answers2

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There is a chance.

This may be due to the chemical composition of various containers that Coca-Cola may come in:

But is it possible that the subtle variation in taste that some notice among aluminum cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles is more than just a psychological effect of their soda-consumption rituals?

Given that the formula is always the same, yes, according to Sara Risch, a food chemist and member of the Institute of Food Technologists. "While packaging and food companies work to prevent any interactions, they can occur," she says. For example, the polymer that lines aluminum cans might absorb small amounts of soluble flavor from the soda. Conversely, acetaldehyde in plastic bottles might migrate into the soda. The FDA regulates this kind of potential chemical contact, but even minute, allowable amounts could alter flavor.

Your best bet for getting Coke's pure, unaltered taste is to drink it from a glass bottle, the most inert material it's served in. Even that's not a sure bet, though. Coca-Cola maintains strict uniformity in processes in all of its worldwide bottling facilities, but it concedes that exposure to light and how long the product sits on store shelves may affect the taste. So yeah, the packaging might mess with Coke's flavor, but we'll still take it any day over New Coke.

Source: Popular Science

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    Down-voting because this is not a valid and reliable reference. – George Chalhoub Sep 12 '15 at 15:45
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    The quote above seems to be primarily speculation about possible mechanics of how it "might" or "could" occur. The question is whether it _does_ occur for Coke. – combinatorics Sep 12 '15 at 15:47
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    I'm still fairly new to this site, I suppose. Is there some sort of guide for this community I can follow to improve on posts? –  Sep 12 '15 at 15:49
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    @Texenox our guide is [here](http://meta.skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/1505). I think there's nothing *wrong* with your answer, it has citations etc., but while your sources are openly speculating ("they can occur", "could alter flavor", "might mess"...), you claim apparent certainty ("apparently so"). At best, your sources should sustain something like "it's not impossible" or "maybe". – Sklivvz Sep 12 '15 at 17:00
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    @Sklivvz I have edited my answer to state that it *could* be possible now. I will admit, claiming certainty for these was a bit of a mistake. –  Sep 13 '15 at 08:52
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    "Given that the formula is always the same" But it's not? Different places use different types of sweetener, etc.? – endolith Jun 29 '16 at 14:40
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Glass bottled coke sometimes has cane sugar instead of corn syrup

I think we can trust Wikipedia for this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Coke

Mexican Coke is bottled in a thick 355 mL or 500 mL glass bottle, which some have described in contrast to the American Coke plastic bottles as being "more elegant, with a pleasingly nostalgic shape

Coca-Cola claims that Mexican Coke exported to the United States is made with cane sugar, while some bottlers may use high-fructose corn syrup for drinks intended for sale in Mexico.[4] Therefore, while Coke labeled "Mexican" in the U.S. will be made with cane sugar, not all Coke sold in Mexico will.

I think it's easy to assume that corn syrup and cane sugar have distinct enough tastes, that some people come to the conclusion that coke tastes different out of glass

Andrey
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    It is easy to assume that - too easy. Instead you need to show evidence that that is the case, and that it is not the case that the container makes a difference. You haven't even shown that cane-sugar Coke always comes in glass bottles and HFCS Coke never does. – Oddthinking Sep 17 '15 at 15:22
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    Mexican coke in plastic bottles also contains cane sugar, as well as the "Kosher Cola" sold on certain holidays. Additionally the belief about glass bottles is spread worldwide rather than limited to the US. – JonathanReez Sep 17 '15 at 16:59
  • @JonathanReez Sadly, the practice of replacing sugar with corn syrup is also worldwide nowadays. – Luaan Sep 22 '15 at 12:26