Tell the Difference Between Coke and Pepsi

Perhaps because they are so similar, Coke and Pepsi have been in a fierce competition for fans for decades. Learning how to taste the difference between these two iconic sodas is great as a parlor trick or simply for personal enjoyment. Keep in mind, however, that the differences are minor — in blind taste tests, most people can't tell which is which.

Steps

Judging Its Taste

1. Judge its flavor qualities. Coke and Pepsi taste quite similar, but their flavors aren't exactly the same. Start by taking a sip of your drink. Concentrate on the flavor — ask yourself, "What else does this taste like?" Everyone's sense of taste is different, but a few popular comparisons are as follows:
   • Coke is often said to resemble raisins with a hint of vanilla.
   • Pepsi is often said to resemble citrus fruit.
2. Judge its intensity. A soda's flavor isn't just about what other things it tastes like — it's also about how those tastes feel in your mouth. Take another drink of your soda. Concentrate on how the soda feels as it moves over your tongue and down your throat. Again, everyone's opinion is different, but some common observations are below:
   • Coke has a flavor that many define as "smoother." The flavor rises gradually and recedes gently. It should go down your throat easily.
   • Pepsi has a flavor that many define as "sharper." The flavor has a stronger "attack" — it rises in a sudden "burst" of flavor. It should be a little more intense as it goes down your throat.
3. Judge its sweetness. Take another drink. This time, concentrate on the sugar content in the drink. Is the sweetness overpowering, or is it more subtle? This can be difficult to judge unless you have both drinks in front of you so that you can compare them. According to official nutritional information:
   • Coke has a little less sugar, so it is slightly less sweet.
   • Pepsi has a little more sugar, so it is slightly more sweet.
4. Feel the carbonation level. Hold a sip of the soda in your mouth for a few seconds. Concentrate on the feeling of the carbonation bubbles. Is the drink quite fizzy, or slightly "flatter" than you're used to in a soda? This, too, is difficult to tell unless you have both drinks for comparison purposes. See below:
   • Coke has more carbonation, so it is slightly fizzier.
   • Pepsi has less carbonation, so it is slightly "flatter."
5. Smell its aroma. If you still aren't sure, try smelling your drink as you gently swirl it in its glass (like a wine snob). This releases a little more of the aromatic chemicals into the air so your nose can pick them up. Concentrate on the aroma — if you had to choose, does it remind you of raisins and vanilla (like the flavor of Coke) or citrus fruits (like the flavor of Pepsi)?

Conducting a Taste Test

1. Have both sodas for comparison purposes. As noted above, all of the tiny differences between Coke and Pepsi are easier (though not exactly easy) to notice when you can compare both drinks (rather than tasting one and trying to guess what it is). To stand a better chance of telling Coke and Pepsi apart, have both drinks available and ready to drink so you can try one and then immediately try the other.
   • If you're doing this for entertainment purposes, have a friend blindfold you and scramble the drink containers so you're not sure which is which. If you're training to be able to tell the drinks apart in the future, feel free to leave the blindfold off.
2. See which you prefer after a sip test. Your first action should be to take only a small sip of each soda. While everyone's sense of taste will differ, this test isn't quite as random as you may think. See below:
   • Statistically, more people tend to prefer the taste of Pepsi after just one sip. Its sharper, sweeter taste makes it create a stronger impression. It can even caused increased stimulation in the part of the brain responsible for judging flavors.
3. See which you prefer after drinking as much as you want. Now, continue to drink both sodas until you run out or you start to feel full. Take note of which soda you were more comfortable drinking a large amount of. If your preference switched (that is, you preferred one soda for the sip test but the other once you drank more of each), you're like most people. See below:
   • Statistically, more people tend to prefer Coke when drinking an entire can or more. Its smoother, less sweet flavor makes it easier to drink large quantities of it.
   • Thus, if you liked one soda better after just a sip but liked the other one better once you drank more, the first one was probably Pepsi and the second was probably Coke.

Tips

• Coke is slightly saltier than Pepsi (33 mg sodium per 240 mL vs. 20 mg), but this is almost impossible to detect via taste.
• Though this is impossible to taste, Pepsi has a higher caffeine content than Coke, so pick Pepsi if you need a "jolt" of energy.

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Sources and Citations

See also

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• Make OpenCola
• Make a Coca Cola Slurpee
• Make a Coke Float
• Make Cherry Cola
• Make Green Pepsi

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