Coca-Cola is the world's most popular drink - in fact, there's only one country on the whole planet where it isn't. Go on holiday absolutely anywhere and you'll be able to pick up a Coke. 'Coca-Cola' is also the world's second most understood term, no matter what the language. It's a pretty big deal.
But it turns out, it does matter where you get it from. There's an unspoken (until now) agreement that Coke from McDonald's tastes the best. And FYI, science has just figured out why.
There's a host of different factors in play here, but put simply, it comes down to transport, storage, and temperature. Also, McDonald's straws play a part. Who knew.
Firstly, before it even gets to the store, McDonald's Coke arrives in a stainless steel container, rather than the plastic bags used to deliver it to other stores. Fancy. This is supposed to keep it fresher and therefore tastier, and helps to preserve the ingredients.
Next, it's down to the water that it's mixed with. The McDonald's website says that it has a set of filtration measures in place to ensure the final product always meets 'gold standard'. They apparently filter their water more than any other fast food chain, because fresh water results in fresh Coke.
The Coke syrup itself is chilled before it hits the fountain and is kept cold on its whole journey to your cup. The entire system is refrigerated and kept at a temperature just above freezing to ensure peak CO2 levels, essential to keep the fizz crisp and bubbly. The syrup and water levels are designed with the melting of ice in mind - so ordering a cup without ice will mean losing the optimum taste. Sorry.
And finally, always drink with a straw - the McDonald's straws are slightly wider than most, and this is so that the Coke can 'hit all your taste buds'.
As you can see, this not-so-secret formula has had a LOT of thought go into it. Respect the formula and always order your McDonald's Coke on ice.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.