The Plastic Bottle
Two editors described this Coca-Cola as having a metallic flavor, despite being from a plastic bottle. Many editors also felt it had more bite or fizz than the other two, with one editor thinking it tasted more “spiced” than sweet. Another editor described it as having an “almost lemony” flavor.

The Glass Bottle
The syrupy flavor was most noted about this version. “I almost thought this one was Coke Zero because of how strong it is,” wrote one editor. Another loved how sweet and syrupy it was, saying she would want to drink it with rum.

And The Winner Is…
The can! It was the narrow winner, ranking first among four editors, with three other editors preferring the bottle. Coca-Cola from a plastic bottle was ranked lowest, preferred by only one editor.

Despite fairly tight results between the glass bottle and can, many Southerners in the room were shocked to find they preferred Coca-Cola from the can. While Coca-Cola insists the formula is the exact same no matter the container it’s in, it was interesting to see how editors perceived taste differences.

The levels of perceived carbonation also varied greatly depending on the container. Scientifically speaking, glass is the most inert material, meaning it’s least likely to react and interfere with the taste of the soda.

Even if science didn’t back us up, we’d still be reaching for the glass bottle alongside peanuts as our go-to snack.