If you think Coca-Cola tastes better in a glass bottle compared to a can, you’re not alone.
Currently, Gen Z is enjoying what’s being called a ‘fridge cigarette,’ which is essentially a cold, crisp can of Diet Coke. However, some people prefer the traditional Coca-Cola in its well-known glass bottle.
This topic has been discussed for quite some time, with individuals turning to platforms like Reddit to express the belief that bottled Coca-Cola has a different, perhaps superior, taste.
In a Reddit thread from four years ago, someone asked: “Why does Coke in glass bottles taste better?”
“Just slaps different,” one user responded, while another commented: “I heard it’s a different type of sugar. They use cane sugar in the bottled variety.”
Another user agreed, stating: “I don’t know, it just does, especially when it’s the last one in the fridge.”
Rowland King, Director at the glass bottles supplier Quality Bottles, offers some scientific reasoning behind why Coca-Cola might taste different in a glass bottle.
He noted, “Glass is chemically inert and non-porous, which means it doesn’t react with the drink or absorb flavour compounds. That helps keep the taste exactly as intended from the moment it’s filled to the moment it’s opened.”
Another key element is how carbonation behaves.
King explained, “Fizzy drinks rely on dissolved CO₂ for their bite and freshness. Over time, plastic is slightly permeable to gas, even when sealed.
“Glass isn’t, so carbonation is typically retained more consistently, which can noticeably affect the taste and how it feels to drink.”
He further explained: “Bottle shape also comes into it. A narrow bottleneck concentrates aroma and slows down how quickly the drink hits the palate.
“That subtly changes the flavour perception compared to drinking from a wide can opening or pouring into a cup.”
Temperature also plays a role in the drink’s taste.
King remarked, “Glass bottles are thicker and tend to chill more evenly and stay cold a bit longer once removed from the fridge.”
“Since temperature strongly affects flavour perception, that alone can make the drink seem more refreshing.”
This information about Coca-Cola having a superior taste in a glass bottle surfaces as a YouTuber claims to have nearly replicated the secret recipe of the iconic drink.
The YouTuber, identified as LabCoatz, reportedly made 111 attempts to create an identical version of the drink after ‘studying literally every aspect of the drink’ through scientific papers, chemical analysis, and more.