Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with coke

Why can't I find Cherry Coke Zero?

ChrisLSU — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:32:51 -0800

Who decides what flavors of Coca-Cola are available for sale in different areas? For the recent Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I drove to her parents, about 5 hours away. We've made this trip a hundred times, and routinely stop at the same gas stations at various points during the trip. While at one for a bathroom break and soda restock, I noticed they had Cherry Coke Zero available. I've always loved Cherry Coke, but stopped drinking it when I switched to Diet Cokes (to cut down on the amount of sugar I was consuming). So I grabbed one, and stopped at the same place on the way back and bought another one. Now I'm at home, and I can't find anybody who stocks them.
One a related note, a few years ago I decided I wanted to cut down on the amount of caffeine I was getting, so I started buying caffeine-free Diet Cokes whenever I could find then. But I've noticed I can only find them in certain areas of town (none within a 20-minutes drive). One day I asked the manager of the nearby gas station if he could order some, and he said he'd find out. A few days later, he told me he couldn't. I didn't bother asking why.
But now I'm wondering why. Who decides this stuff? Was the store manager BSing me? Does the Coca-Cola corporation or the bottlers or distributors set restrictions on what flavors can be sold in what areas? Or is it just a simple matter of supply-and-demand?
Thanks for the help with this nagging question.

Passover Coke in the Philly Area?

thequietriot — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:01:15 -0800

Where can I find Passover Coca-Cola in the Philly, PA area? I live about 10 minutes east of King of Prussia, PA. I've really wanted to try and get a bottle of Passover Coke, but have not been able to find any in the local grocery stores. I would prefer avoiding having to drive into the city, as I hate driving in the city. I'm going to be in the Ardmore area this weekend. Does anyone know of specific stores around there or in the surrounding areas that are selling it?

Wherever there is fun, there's always... Coca-Cola-Cake?

pseudostrabismus — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:11:50 -0800

Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake recipes, please! Valentine's day approaches, and my boyfriend sure likes him some Coca-Cola. I'd like to make him a chocolate-cola cake. I've also heard these called "Texas Sheet Cakes". I've googled this, of course, and found some recipes, but I was hoping someone here would have actually made one themselves and have tips.

The key requirements for me are a recipe that's (a) easy to bake (b) tastes strongly of Coke, and (c) has a Coke-flavoured frosting.

Also, I was thinking that after the cake came out of the oven, and before frosting it, I might stab the cake with a fork and drizzle on some reduced Coke (simmered to a more syrupy consistency) to give the cake more moisture & flavour- anyone know if that'll work?

Thanks! (so excited to try this!)

Intervention!

youngergirl44 — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:42:18 -0800

I live in Chicago and need to help a friend get into a drug rehab program. I have no idea where to start. Please help! First, he wants to go, but doesn't have the presence of mind to do it all on his own. I've never known anyone who has done this before, so I feel overwhelmed.

How do you select a place? He's about 50 years old, gay, HIV positive and severly depressed. Do these factors need to be considered when picking a place? Does it matter what drugs he's on? Are certain places better for some addictions than others? If it matters, he's using coke, crystal meth, crack, and pot (that I know of).

How does he tell his employer? He applied for short term disability or the family medical leave because of a recent MRSA infection, but I don't think he's been approved yet. Will going into rehab mean he's going to lose his job?

What sort of information do I need about/from his insurance company (Blue Cross Blue Shield)? I have other friends that work for the same employer and have the same coverage, so if the friend can't get the information, I'm sure someone else can.

Do I ask for his family's help? He's fairly close to his family (brothers, cousins, but no children, spouse or SO), but has fallen away in the recent months due to his addictions. I don't know how much they know about what he's been doing.

I know he's practicing reckless sexual behavior. Is this something that a rehab program can help address?

Also, he went through the 12-step AA program 10+ years ago and never wants to go back to a 12-step program. Do non-12-step rehab facilities exist? Should I ignore is dislike for the 12-step program (he thinks of AA as a cult) just to get him help?

I feel like this is really scattered, but I don't know how else to put it. I saw him last night and he was so tweaked out that I came to the realization that he is going to die from this. I just want to cry......

What's this part of a plastic bottle cap called?

bofe — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:59:09 -0800

Plastic Bottle cap anatomy: See this picture. What's the blue part called? Does it have a name?

Homemade Soda Fountain?

Coolcan2 — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:17:30 -0800

Where does one buy bag-in-box coke syrup for a soda fountain in australia? I'm looking at making a soda fountain for my kitchin, and while I was able to find the equipment, I was completely unable to find any place to order syrup from in australia.

Where does one buy bag-in-box coke syrup for a soda fountain in australia?

That cool and refreshing demon on my back

ChabonJabon — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 05:41:59 -0800

I'm addicted to coke, and I just can't seem to break the habit. Please help me! I used to smoke, and I stopped that at some point without a single look back. I can smoke a cig now without wanting to become a smoker again. I smoke about 10 cigs a year. So I know that I'm not the addictive type.

Apart from when it comes to Coca Cola. I drink about 2 liters of the stuff a day. I can go for days without drinking water, just coke. I have been trying to quit real hard, but I get this craving for it. If it is hot out, I NEED that cold coke. I spend a lot of money on coke. I hate this habit, because it is unhealthy, bad for my teeth, and I really dislike the feeling of being a pawn of the coca cola company. Why am I paying the m 50 bucks a month for what I could get free?

Otherwise, I do not drink any other addictive drinks. No coffee, no tea, not even chocolate.

One big problem is that people do not take this addiction seriously. They tell me - just stop. I can stop for about 3 days, and then I start again. I replaced coke with sprite, but sprite disgusts me after a few days.

I tried coke caffeine free, but I can't stand the taste. How do I brwak the habit? I reaally need to!

Are there any benefits to drinking coke when eating greasy food?

gttommy — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:39:50 -0800

I heard coca-cola is a good fat solvent. Are there any benefits to drinking coke when eating greasy food? Perhaps it enables fat to pass through your body quicker leading to reduced fat absorption?

Styrofoam Pop Cups in Seattle

rossination — Sun, 13 May 2007 13:00:12 -0800

Are there any gas stations or fast food places in [North, preferably] Seattle that sell fountain pop in Styrofoam (polystyrene) cups? I've found that pop out of styrofoam cups tastes tons better than from paper or plastic [MeTa]. Anyone know of any places in Seattle where I can get pop this way?

Bonus points for:
>> North Seattle, particularly the U-District, Maple Leaf, Northgate-ish area. But I'm honestly willing to travel a little bit. Just not to, you know, Burien.
>> Cups of size 32 oz.+
>> Coke as opposed to Pepsi products.

Sorry that this is such an inane question. But I've been thinking about it for a while.

What happenend to Vanilla Coke/Pepsi Vanilla?

deansfurniture5 — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 13:39:49 -0800

What happened to Vanilla Coke/Pepsi Vanilla? I can't seem to find it anywhere any more, and I'm really missing my Cola Vanilla fix! (I live in Massachusetts, if that's important)

When was Coke cake created?

killerinsideme — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 11:20:41 -0800

Is Coca-Cola cake a product of wartime privation? My favorite dessert of all time is carrot cake, partly because it is delicious and partly because it has a good story, which you may already know. It was created during WWII in England when sugar and butter was rationed. Cooks grated carrots into their cake batter. (I'm assuming they went without the buttercream icing that's on it now.)

So, I was telling this to a friend and he said that he was under the impression that Coca-Cola cake was the product of a similar set of circumstances. I, on the other hand, can't imagine that people who were short of anything so basic as sugar would have access to Coke.

Does the hive mind know when Coca-Cola cake was first created...?

How can I help?

mwhybark — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 21:26:51 -0800

I have a dear pal with a coke habit that has driven him to homelessness. He is not a US-native; he grew up in pre-change Eastern Europe. He does have a green card. He has had trouble hiolding job and appears to have never received training in money-management issues either in the US or at home. I do not want him to die, which he will surely do this year if things do not change. What can I do?

How does a guy who doesn't do coke test positive several times?

John Kenneth Fisher — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:45:47 -0800

I have a friend is currently getting railroaded out of the Army for cocaine use. He tested hot at least twice (just above whatever measure they use). Problem is, he's never used cocaine. Yes, I believe him. His defense lawyer keeps offering deals and "doesn't have the resources" to really defend him. Civilian lawyers have offered to take the case for amounts ranging between $10-$15K. At his income, he's doesn't have the money.

He is a combat vet and purple heart recipient. Could drugs given to him in the field for serious injuries set a false positive months later? Can cocaine be absorbed through the skin if he handled materials with a coating of it? How does a guy who doesn't do coke test positive several times?

Anyone have any ideas of what he might do? Anyone know an attorney in the Ft bragg area or other resources he might use?

What is the safest artificial sweetner to overdose on?

stuckie — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:37:53 -0800

What is the safest artificial sweetner to overdose on? I'm a pretty healthy guy, despite what I subject my body to. For probably close to 20 years, I gradually increased my daily Coca-Cola intake from the occasional "Big Gulp" to probably 128oz. Then, 2 years ago, i decided to basically quit, cold-turkey.

For a couple of months I was able to subsist on water, but I found that while I missed the Coke to some degree, what I really missed was carbonated FLAVOR in my beverages. And I work somewhere where they are FREE. So eventually I convinced myself that if I was able to give up both the sugar and the caffeine, I would allow myself to drink things like Fresca, Diet 7-Up/Sprite/Squirt, Diet Rite, etc (can't handle the cola-flavored ones, for some reason, though)

Now I'm back up to, say, 6 cans of Fresca per day. Now I doubt that will increase much, given my current situation (and 7-11s or restaurants don't even CARRY diet caffeine-free beverages in their fountains), but I AM a little concerned about my lack of good information about the sweeteners. Sugar, while incredibly caloric, was at least a "known quantity" and there are few reputable doctors who will tell you that drinking refined sugar is going to make you anything but fat.

On the other hand, everyone seems to have their own opinions about the health risks of the "new" sweeteners - aspartame gives you brain cancer; sucralose gives you digestive problems; saccharine gives rats cancer...

Growing up, I've felt comfortable deferring to the FDA about these things. As a skeptic of the Penn & Teller "Bullshit" school, I've got good faith in the scientific method over scare tactics, but my paranoid mind can't help thinking that in this day and age, when every business lobbying entity has its own lab to "counter" the findings of legitimate unbiased researchers (Global Warming? Maybe? Cigarette Harm? Uncertain?), what do we conclusively know about, for instance, the long-term human injestion of 72oz of product containing any of these sweetners?

Again, my system is likely still quite rugged, and I've tried a number of sweetners without any "direct" effects (in the way that like many people report that Splenda gives them digestion difficulty or Nutrasweet gives them a headache) - but at 34, I'm starting to worry about the long-term health issues, and was wondering if there was any research out there that addressed this.

If it helps, I prefer the "taste" of Splenda best, though for some reason the grapefruit taste of Fresca/Diet Squirt is what I've been into the most lately, and they are both aspartame-based. I don't particularly like tea, and juice, while great (and expensive), is just as caloric as Coke.

I realize that most folks' kneejerk reaction will be to say "go back to water", or link to "scare" pages, and I guess I don't mind those kinds of answers, (though they will probably go unheeded) I'd much more appreciate anything with some legitimate scientific "cred."

Thanks in advance, and for tolerating the long-windedness.

Will Diet Coke make me gain or lose weight in the short term?

web-goddess — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:39:43 -0800

Any jockeys or prizefighters in the house? I've read repeatedly that Diet Coke and other diet soft drinks have both sodium - which makes the body retain water - as well as caffeine - which acts as a mild diuretic. Which effect is greater? Will drinking a diet soda cause a net gain or loss in your weight a few hours later? First off, I'll admit that this is totally prompted by an upcoming Weight Watchers weigh-in. I'm not trying to game the system, but I would like to be sure I'm not going in there carrying any extra weight. It sure seems like when I have a Diet Coke (after drinking normal water), I end up going to the bathroom a lot more often. So in a hypothetical situation where you wanted to weigh-in as light as possible, would it be better to A) just drink water, B) drink water and a bit of caffeine, or C) drink nothing at all? I've done some Googling and while I can find references to both the "water retention" and "makes you pee more" effects, I can't find anything that suggests whether they cancel each other out.

I'd just like to stress that I know Diet Coke isn't healthy and if I were a truly good person (that was sarcasm), I wouldn't drink it at all. But dammit, I've lost nearly fifty pounds in the past year and I need to feel like I have one tiny vice left. I've just always wondered whether I should cut it out on Weight-In day or not. (I know that the net effect is likely to be miniscule, and I'm truly not the type to obsess about 100g... but I just wondered.)

How do I mix a drink that tastes like Coke?

moss — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 02:34:51 -0800

BoozeFilter: The flavor of cola drinks, like Coke, is "a mixture, or fantasia, of vanilla, cinnamon, and citrus flavorings". Knowing this, what three kinds of alcohol would you combine if you wanted to make a mixed drink that tasted as much like cola as possible? I could obviously just grab whatever citrus, cinnamon, and vanilla flavored liquor I can find, but I can see a few different pitfalls to avoid: one flavor being too strong or too weak; the ingredients not combining well; some unexpected other flavor appearing too strongly; or (possibly unavoidable) the whole thing combining into one Giant Unstoppable Ball Of Pure Hangover. So, I throw myself on the mercy of the combined alcoholic knowledge of all MetaFilter: what could I use that would have a reasonably high alcohol content, would have relatively similar intensities of flavor, wouldn't clash with each other terribly, and wouldn't make me too sick?

Help me fix my Coke addiction

ranglin — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 03:28:30 -0800

MedicalPersonFilter: Ok, I admit it, I'm addicted to caffeine. No, not coffee, I'm addicted to coca-cola. Basically, I'm wondering how I can kick the habit or reduce the heartburn I now get from drinking it? As background, I've tried several times to kick the habit, but all it takes is a bourbon & coke at a bar or even a regular coke at a party and I'm back on to it again. To make things worse, as I get older, I'm starting to get a lot of heartburn from the coke, especially if I have it first thing in the morning (which I do, because it wakes me up). It doesn't seem to matter if I drink diet coke, anything with caffiene causes the problem.

With all this in mind, I guess I've got two questions:
1. How can I kick my caffeine habit?
2. If I find that too hard, how can I reduce the heartburn I'm getting and, for the medically-inclined among you, why am I getting heartburn now with coke when I didn't before (I've drunk it for years)?

Thanks!

It's the real thing, bones in a bottle.

ok — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 20:13:56 -0800

Any ideas on the value an unopened 12 ounce bottle of Coke, purchased in the spring of 1960, with pork bones inside? With the afternoon sun shinning through this Coke bottle, my parents saw that something was inside. Pork bones. My mother wrote a letter to coke about it and she never received a reply, so it’s been a fun novelty we have had at the house.

I was telling my folks about eBay and the strange things that people sell, and I was reminded about the Coke bottle. I told them that I thought that it would be worth something to some collectors , (and to think that my brothers and sister use to take this to show and tell).

The syrup has separated over all these years and a lot of sediment is at the bottom, along with a piece of fat floating at the top there are two pork bones inside.

Where did this Coke come from?

milquetoast — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 09:29:15 -0800

Please help me identify a Coca-Cola product's country of origin. I purchased this Coke at a shop right around the corner from my flat in Edinburgh. The shopkeeper did not know where it came from. Curious, I scanned the label and am asking for your assistance.

Looking at the image: the English-language sticker is not covering any other writing. There may be a phone number in the lower right corner, but I couldn't find any country code matching 00396(206). I poked around Omniglot, and I thought the writing looked vaguely Georgian, but I don't really have an eye for this kind of thing. Any ideas? And if you happen to read the language in question, does the label say anything interesting? Thanks, in advance, for helping me procrastinate.

Link to the 485k image.

Where to find Passover Coke in Northern Virginia?

cerebus19 — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 19:56:27 -0800

Where can I find Passover Coke in Fairfax County, Virginia? For those who don't know: Ashkenazic Jews can't eat or drink anything with corn (among many other things) during Passover. This means high fructose corn syrup, which is what Coke and most other sodas are sweetened with, is out. To accommodate them, every year Coke produces Coca-Cola Classic and Sprite that is kosher for Passover, by making it with sugar instead of corn syrup. You can tell which (two-liter) Coke is Passover Coke because it has a yellow cap with "OU-P" stamped on the top.

Not only is this Passover Coke acceptable for Ashkenazic Jews to drink--it also tastes much, much better (in most people's opinions) because it's not as sweet.

I live in Reston, Va., and work in Chantilly. I've checked most of the local grocery stores (and I'm checking Wegman's tomorrow), but with no luck so far. If you know of any place that stocks it or might stock it, please let me know.

Sugar-cane Coca Cola in NYC?

gentle — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:05:46 -0800

Where can I buy sugar-cane Coca Cola (or comparable colas) in New York City? I went to Italy last year and was able to enjoy Coke sweetened with sugar cane instead of the awful high-fructose corn syrup glop, and I have been dreaming about the stuff every since. Apparently the sugar-cane-sweetened Coke is still produced in Mexico; but at this point I am not willing to travel that far just to get a soft drink. (I would, however, be willing to travel a few hours from NYC, if required.)

I also hear that a kosher cane-sweetened version of Coke is produced for Passover, and intend to stock up when that time of the year comes around. I suppose it won't be hard to find in this city, but if anyone knows of a particularly good place to buy it, I would like to know.

I have encountered various esoteric cola brands in stores here. They tend to be on the expensive side, and taste more like cola and less like Coke. One product in particular, Boylan Sugar Cane Cola, tastes like root beer, ie. minty mouthwash, and should not be mentioned.

Friends also tell me that RC Cola is made with sugar cane and is an excellent substitute, but I have not been able to find it anywhere here. Friends have not been able to tell me where I could buy the stuff, however.

This Slashfood post talks about a WSJ article about how Mexican Coca Cola is being imported and sold in various places in the US. Their link is broken, however, and I have not been able to find the article online. Have anyone found this stuff in New York?

Caffeine kills my procrastination dead. Why?

slater — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 10:26:18 -0800

My procrastination killer: Caffeine. But why? I, as it seems many of my generation (born late 70s, early 80s), consider myself the biggest procrastinator in the world. And yet, I've found that caffeine will work wonders for my motivation to actually Do Stuff™ that I usually wouldn't do (think unfinished projects, stuff around the house that I've been wanting to do for ages, etc.). But why is that? What's in caffeine that gives my procrastination the ol' heave-ho? And is it even healthy drinking 1.5l of Coke a day, just to get things done?

And the award for the world's most paranoid dieter goes to...

skjønn — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 20:33:49 -0800

Are there any simple tests that can be done (besides tasting) to determine if a given sample is diet coke or regular coke? Without using taste or smell, is there a simple way to distinguish between coke and diet coke?

One possible way to distinguish: test strips that react differently to the sweeteners in each one? There are strips you can buy that will tell you if you have ketones in your urine, if a substance is an acid or a base, etc etc. Maybe something similar would work? Maybe the PH is significantly different and PH test strips could be used?

How could a Coke can leak its contents without any apparent holes?

chrismear — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 02:38:54 -0800

How could a Coke can leak its contents without any apparent holes? I came back to eight cans of Coke and Diet Coke that had been left on a low shelf in a cold room for about six months. They were now one month past their use-by date. It was immediately obvious that they had leaked: there was a trail of sticky brown syrup leading away from the cans.

However, when I examined the cans, there were no apparent holes or cuts in them. They seemed completely intact. A couple of the cans still had some liquid in them, but no amount of shaking or turning could cause even the smallest amount to drip out.

The only thing I noticed was a strong vinegary smell, and a kind of white deposit (even small crystals in one case), like a kind of corrosion, on the bottom of the cans. This makes me suspect some kind of chemical reaction, but that's about as far as my chemistry knowledge goes these days.

Any ideas how this could have happened?

Where is Coke C2?

ThePinkSuperhero — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:19:48 -0800

What happened to Coca-Cola C2? I really liked C2- I hate diet drinks with artifical sweetners, but regular cola is too sweet. I know Coke just came out with the new Coke Zero (another diet drink, boo), but did they totally discontinue C2? I haven't seen it for awhile in the supermarkets I frequent...