Coca Cola

Q: Are Coca-Cola and Coke the same?

There is a big difference between Coke and Coca-Cola. Coke is an generic term that can refer to any number of sodas that are carbonated and sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Coca-Cola, on the other hand, is a specific brand of soda that is made with a unique recipe that includes ingredients like caramel colour and phosphoric acid. Yet when Coca-Cola was initially launched, they discovered the public referred to it as 'coke' and even made ad campaigns to dissuade people from referring to it as such. This didn't work though, and Coca-Cola eventually adopted the 'Coke' trademark.

Q: What is Coca-Cola made of?

Coca-Cola is made of water, sugar, caramel colour, phosphoric acid, caffeine, and natural flavours. One of the most interesting ingredients is mercaptoethanol, which is a form of sulfuric acid used in soft drinks to speed up the browning process and give Coke its distinct colour.

Shop for the world’s most prolific soft drink online and discover some if its unexpected incarnations. Coca Cola is legendary, but it had humble beginnings as a medicinal drink in the late nineteenth century. Its name comes from the two key ingredients that used to give it its flavour - kola nuts and coca leaves. Coke's true recipe is the world’s most heavily guarded trade secret, but this hasn’t stopped a whole industry of cola drinks developing as a response to the original's success.

The rise of Coca Cola coincided with the birth of cocktails, and the soft drink has found its way into a surprising number of them. Just think of a Cuba Libre, or a final splash of Coke on a Long Island Iced Tea. To add new flavours and inspire bartenders, Coca Cola now sells a special mixer range that can really get the imagination going. Find your inspiration below.

Are Coca-Cola and Coke the same?

What is Coca-Cola made of?