Folks I think this is big news. Not sure if it's part of a test market or what, but I was on my way to get Kosher coke in cans today, and I stumbled upon the following: bottling plant "CD" (Cleveland, OH) has been producing 100% sucrose-only Coca Cola & Cherry Coke at least two months ago based on the varying expiration dates I found. The prouct tastes clean and crisp, with no HFCS aftertaste, just like the Kosher for Passover or Mexican products.

I decided to check after reading the other day that new laws disallow the use of "and/or" terminology on food/beverage packaging labels.

This was confirmed at three retail stores in the Mayfield Heights area:
1) Costco-cases of 12oz cans
2) Giant Eagle-12oz 6pks, fridge packs, 2L bottles
3) Walmart-12oz fridge packs, 16.9oz bottles, 2L bottles, 12oz/20oz from vending machines
machines
4) Heinens-12oz 6pks, fridge packs, 2L bottles and the HOLY GRAIL: 6pks
of the short 10oz GLASS BOTTLES.

Heinens & Giant Eagle also had separate displays of Kosher for Passover 6pks that were made in KE (New York State).

I did notice that in every instance, the clear sodas were still using HFCS (Canada Dry & Sprite).

Thanks for the news...

Probably all the sucrose Coke lovers in this forums will head to Cleveland inmediately...

It appears that Coca Cola doesn't bottle Dr Pepper in Cleveland (DP has its own bottler there, right?). If any Coke bottler starts doing this which also bottles DP, I expect they'll use sucrose for the DP, too. I can't wait to try *that*!
(To my taste, both Coke and DP improve with sucrose, but DP is an order of magnitude better than with HFCS. YMMV)

Note: Is it my imagination or can you tell sucrose from HFCS by the smaller "foamier" bubbles that form when shaking the sucrose formulation?

-Doug

Let us hope this becomes a trend and catches on with the other bottling facilities.

Maybe it is related to this story on the main page of BevNet.
http://www.bevnet.com/news/2007/03-1...-Corn_Coke.asp

Originally Posted by doug1885

It appears that Coca Cola doesn't bottle Dr Pepper in Cleveland (DP has its own bottler there, right?).

Nope...PepsiAmericas.

So far I've tried a kosker for passover can from plant "KE", and a regular can/10oz glass bottle from "CD". I tried them warm and then with ice.

Here is my review: The regular can (Dec 3rd expiration) definitely had its own taste, and it tasted pretty foul warm. It had a sour taste, noticably different than the HFCS or Kosher varieties. So bad that I was considering returning both cases to Costco for a refund. Once I put it on ice, however, the flavor was much much better. Another store had a Dec 17th expiration can, and I'm kicking myself for not buying at least a 6pk, so I could have tried a fresher product and checked to see if the taste was consistent between batches.

The Kosher for Passover can (also Dec 3rd expiration) tasted better warm and almost the same as the non kosher can cold. I'd have to say the Kosher can would be my choice warm, and the regular can would be my choice cold. My taste buds have convinced that there is more to the "kosher vs regular" cans than just a sweetner change. Perhaps one of the other "natural flavorings" used isn't kosher for passover so they substitute something else. Mexican coke tastes better than Kosher for Passover coke to me, but some of that might also be because I get mexican coke in glass bottles.

The glass bottle had an Oct07 expiration date, so it's two months old. The taste had thus changed accordingly. I'm sure this had the best potential for flavor, both cold or warm, but I didn't have a fresh enough sample. The 10oz bottles (with the old school foam peel-able bottle wrap label) aren't as popular in stores. Maybe because of the $3.99/6pk price tag. This one still tasted the best warm, and took second place to the non-kosher can cold.

I called the Cleveland Coca Cola center, and they said their geographic area for distribution is limited to Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

They said they have several production lines and that Coca Cola series products have always been made with Sucrose at that facility (years and years she said). They confirmed that their line for Sprite/Canada Dry uses HFCS.

If she spoke correctly, then it's kind of amusing that I've driven so many places looking for passover coke, but I may have had an unlimited supply at regular retail prices within a 90 mile drive.

Wow, that is insane. I used to live in Columbus, I can't believe it was always within a close reach, yet I never knew about this! Not to mention I used to love Cherry Coke, and the thought of it made the right way is just crazy. A friend of mine may be willing to make the trek from Toledo to Cleveland just to get some. Too bad I'm so far away still. Maybe when he visits Columbus he can drop some with my family and they'll bring it here, LOL

We've got a winner: Dr Pepper from Coke-PT (Portales NM)

Threads going at Salute on this as well as this pic:

http://www.knab.org/realsugardp.jpg

Yikes!! Where is this going to be available? Is this the nationwide rollout for Summer that didn't happen last year? If so, I'm excited!!