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Update, November 2026: Pepsi Throwback became a permanent product in the US in 2011, was renamed Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar in 2014, and since 2024 has been sold as Pepsi-Cola Soda Shop Made with Real Sugar. Cane sugar Pepsi in glass bottles from Mexico still turns up at Mexican grocers and some warehouse stores. You can also find real sugar Pepsi on Amazon.
I prefer my soda drinks made with real sugar. I may have mentioned this before, but there is a noticeably taste differences between beverages made with real sugar and those made with high-fructose corn syrup. Unfortunately since corn syrup is much cheaper than sugar, real sugar soft drinks are usually few and far between. I’ve written about real sugar soft drinks before, including a comparison of two different versions of real sugar Dr Pepper. Today it’s time to talk about Pepsi.
When it comes to the Cola wars I am generally allied with Coca-Cola. If given the option between the normal versions of Coke or Pepsi I will choose Coke every time. My allegiance to Coca-Cola only wanes when presented with the option of real sugar Pepsi. Throwback Pepsi has been available sporadically since at least the summer of 2008. I always by a case or two when given a chance. Mexican Pepsi is something I’ve only found recently at one grocery store in Bellingham, WA that stocks a large amount of Mexican foodstuffs. I’ve been buying cases of Mexican Coca-Cola from Costco in Bellingham for years now, but I had never seen Mexican Pepsi until just last month.
For pure appearance it’s obvious that Mexican Pepsi is the winner, glass bottles are superior to aluminum cans. Although for nostalgia the can does remind me a lot of the Pepsi cans I would see as a child. In terms of taste I’m still undecided, I’ve had a lot of cans of Pepsi Throwback but only have drank two bottles of Mexican Pepsi. They both taste much better than normal Pepsi, but I’m having a hard time declaring one the winner.
Actually, scratch that, I already knew the winner before I even started:
I choose Mexican Coca-Cola as the winner of the Pepsi battle. I can do that because I made up the rules of my taste test. It has the classic Coke bottle look, and the best taste of any of the real sugar soft drinks I’ve had. Check Costco near you, or go to Mexico, to find some and taste for yourself.
