Mexican Pepsi: Hecho en Mexico

Being up early in my town affords a few perks, one of them being access to a delicious deli/market that is open until noon on Sundays. Stopping in there last week to grab some of the best chicken tenders ever, I peered into the cooler to spot glass bottles of Pepsi. Mexican Pepsi. There was no mistaking the thin bottles, wrapped in a more classic label on a field of white, containing my favorite soda of all time in its foreign version. My excitement was so high I almost paid for items that were not even mine at the checkout.

Fast forward to today. Those two bottles from last week are long gone, but this past Sunday I was able to grab a few more and feel like a review is in order, mainly for one reason: while the difference in tastes between Mexican Coca-Cola and U.S. Coca-Cola is slight, the difference between U.S. Pepsi and it's southern cousin is tangible. The first sip is dull and does not pop. It does not creep into the back of your eyes like a U.S. Pepsi does, nor does it run over the tongue and cool as it flows. The taste is almost completely different and is similar to traditional cane sugar, or botanical, sodas.

If only U.S. Pepsi looked this good...

In a pure head to head, U.S. Pepsi is far superior. It has more carbonation, a fuller flavor, and feels slightly thinner. The lack of carbonation in the Mexican Pepsi is killing me! I just swirled it around the bottle and nothing! Not a bubble. No fizz

I'm being harsh on the Mexican soda but it is warranted. This sample is making me see that maybe outside the U.S., people don't have access to the good Pepsi, the one with corn syrup and not cane sugar. I was raised on the taste of Pepsi and the Mexican flavor just doesn't cut it.