don't drink "curiosity cola"
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
I tried a Fentiman's "Curiosity Cola" today. My first real cola drink of my life.
Not that I knew that going in. I'd seen reference to the drink in a video mentioned on Seth Godin's blog, which I read by email (the piece came out in November—I'm current two months behind). The drink was expensive at ¥370, but I figured it would just be the once. Besides, this is a town where a single printed page at FedexKinko's will cost you ¥270!
So I tried it, and now I can't go back. In the past few years, I've been drinking Coca-Cola mostly when I feel a headache coming on. A Coke can put off a migraine if I catch it early enough. I think it's the caffeine.
But I don't think I'll be able to drink Coke any more. For one thing, the dead taste of the corn syrup is by comparison with the real "Real Thing", quite appalling. If you try "Curiosity Cola", you'll be simply amazed at how good the stuff actually tastes. I'll try not to get lyrical about this, but the stuff had a taste that I can only describe as "alive". Not only was the cola taste there in all of its glory, but the teeth-shellacking sugar content was absent and the curious metallic aftertaste of Coke was gone, too. It was downright delicious and in its pure goodness highlights everything that's wrong with Coke (and Pepsi).
I can only assume that Coca-Cola at some point in its history had the same appeal, but now you can't even taste the actual cola flavour.
Since 1985 in the U.S., Coke has been made with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) instead of the more expensive cane-sugar. Some nutritionists caution against consumption of HFCS because it may aggravate obesity and type-2 diabetes more than cane sugar. Also, a 2009 study found that almost half of tested samples of commercial HFCS contained mercury, a toxic substance.
There's mercury in Coke? (Great, this is what happens when you read about things.)
So now I'm put off of Coke for good, and there isn't any affordable real cola drink around. If you want to avoid my fate, avoid "Curiosity Cola".