On Natural Sodas and HFCS Bugaboos

First off, I drink maybe one Coke—full-sugar Coke—a week (Diet’s another story...). The über-sweetness of it doesn’t appeal to me in a regular beverage anymore, but every so often I find it rather comforting. The flavor instantly transports me back to youthful days aboard sailboats on Lake Michigan, incessant summertime golfing, and evening card games and snacks at vacation cabins. And almost invariably, it was Coke (meaning Coca-Cola classic, although not dubbed as such in those days, or now...)—not that I have anything against its competitors like Pepsi and R.C.—that’s just what my family and friends tended to drink.

But in my experimental corner of consumerism, I continually try new products—albeit on a rather irregular basis these days as wallets lighten and belts tighten. And when I heard about Pepsi debuting a natural soda—after all (didn’t you hear?), high-fructose corn syrup is the devil incarnate (yeah, and I’ve got a bridge for sale, unbelievable price, in far southwestern Florida ... come on, it’s tomato tomahto, folks...)—I was instantly intrigued. I like the sugar flavor of Mexican, or “Passover” sodas (made with sugar), and I think “natural” has serious legs these days (even more so than organic...).

The soda, sold in a rather-elegant glass bottle with classy inlaid logo, small (lowercase) “pepsi” branding and large “natural” designation, is instantly distinguishable from its HFCS cousin due to its lighter, amber color. First sip elicits other differences, like a lighter hand in the carbonation and an earthy, nutty, pleasant flavor (from the kola nut extract) that’s more subtle than anything. Quite nice, really.

Will Pepsi Natural supplant regular, commodity cans of HFCS-laden Pepsi? My first instinct? Not a chance. But it could prove attractive to a growing base of consumers who have shown a rather surprising vehemence in their growing dislike of the soda industry’s beloved HFCS. The Jones folks saw enough writing on the wall to make a wholesale switch over a year ago. Perhaps there’s more to this than we’re yet caught wind of...