Being fans of anything that does not use high fructose corn syrup, we tried a bottle of Pepsi Cola Throwback, which uses natural cane sugar as the sweetener rather than high fructose corn syrup.  Our standard is the Mexican Pepsi that we get from a local grocer. How do the two compare? Read on!

Over the years, more and more soft drinks have turned to the corn syrup as a sweetener, and while none of us Pepsi drinkers had realized it at the time, corn syrup not only has many health disadvantages, it offers a different kind of “sweet” that is actually more sicky-sweet on the palate.

I’d heard about the secret of Mexican soft drinks a couple of years ago, as they are made with the old-style recipies that use natural cane sugar.  Since we are fortunately not big fans of soft drinks, the extra cost really didn’t make much difference–we get these for about $1 per bottle.  In direct comparison to the current regular Pepsi, the Mexican Pepsi is so much better–less sweet in a good way, and it is actually thirst quenching.  (The corn syrup Pepsi actually makes you crave it the more you drink it.)

How does the new “Throwback” Pepsi compare?  Well, I must say their heart is in the right place, as the sicky-sweet taste is gone, and there’s natural sugar.  Being a “diet” drinker personally, it was still a stretch to finish my portion of the bottle, but at least it was drinkable.  But compared to the Mexican Pepsi, it still isn’t quite up to that level.  This is not an original Pepsi recipe, as there is a small “tangy” aftertaste that the Mexican Pepsi doesn’t have.   The Mexican variation takes me back to childhood times.  Don’t get me wrong:  this Throwback variation is still good, and a welcome change from the corn syrup slop, but if you’re looking for a true throwback to the past, you’re still better off looking for the original recipe…which you’ll find in its Mexican variety.  The Throwback version still doesn’t have that certain “it” that you would expect.

I’m not a bit Coca Cola fan, but I will quickly finish this story by saying that if you haven’t had Mexican Coke, you are in for a treat!  This, too, will remind you of the Coca Cola you grew up with in the 60s and 70s.  High fructose corn syrup is nasty stuff, plain and simple.  Once you sample the real deal, you’ll find it hard to go back.