If you've ever debated someone over whether or not the Coca-Cola served at McDonald's tastes different than the Coke served at other places, you're not crazy. The Coke at McDonald's actually does have a unique flavor, and some say it's better than canned Coke or Coke from other restaurants.
There's no grand secret behind McDonald's Coke. The restaurant chain has been pretty open about how their process for preparing and serving Coca-Cola differs from their competitors. The real surprise is how much science is involved, and how committed McDonald's is to serving the best Coca-Cola products possible. Every aspect of the soda is heavily regulated by McDonald's in order to ensure a uniform flavor across nearly 38,000 McDonald's locations worldwide.
So why does Coke taste different at McDonald's? Everything matters, from the containers the Coke syrup is transported in to the size of the straw you use to sip it.
McDonald’s And Coca-Cola Have Had A Close Business Relationship Since The 1950s
The relationship between Coke and McDonald's goes way back to 1955, when entrepreneur Ray Kroc first met Coca-Cola executive Waddy Pratt. Within a few hours, the two agreed to expand their brands to every corner of the globe.
McDonald's is the only client that Coca-Cola devotes an entire division to, and it's often joked that McDonald's is among the top five countries that Coca-Cola sells to. The two companies work closely to manage the beverages served at McDonald's, and they've developed several processes that are entirely unique to the way McDonald's operates. The companies even have a deal that prevents Coca-Cola from selling their syrup to other restaurants for less than what McDonald's pays, no matter what that means for their bottom line.
Restaurant Soda Doesn’t Taste Like Canned Soda Because It’s Mixed On-Site
Unlike soda that comes in a bottle or can, fountain sodas are mixed the moment they start pouring from the tap. Carbonated water and syrup are stored and dispensed by the machines separately, and only mixed in the stream that fills your cup. This makes the taste of fountain drinks different than the taste of pre-mixed sodas in general - and many believe it results in a fresher flavor.
McDonald's has worked to make their Coke products taste as fresh as possible, and managing their drink machines is a big part of that. The company has a set of strict guidelines for their restaurants that ensures consistency across their thousands of locations.
Different Restaurants Use Varying Amounts Of Syrup To Make The Coke Sweeter
No matter which McDonald's location you're visiting, the Coke they serve will taste identical to the Coke at every other McDonald's in the world. That's not always the case with other restaurants, and that's largely because of the amount of syrup and carbon dioxide they mix into their Coke.
Some restaurants put more syrup than is recommended into their machines in order to make their Coke taste sweeter. Most companies usually have a standard recipe to work off of, but individual locations may not always adhere to those standards. McDonald's makes an effort to enforce their uniform Coke standard, and it shows.
McDonald's actually puts less syrup in their drinks than some other chains. A small Coke from McDonald's contains 40 grams of sugar, but go to a Panera Bread and you'll get a Coke with as much as 67 grams of sugar inside. McDonald's has managed to determine the exact ratio of syrup to put into their Cokes in order to capture that unique taste that so many people love.
Even slight differences in syrup ratio, drink temperature, or carbonation levels can drastically affect the taste of fountain Coke, and McDonald's has gone to great lengths to ensure their Coke meets a certain standard. They even account for the effect that melting ice can have on flavor.
As the ice melts, the water begins to dilute the syrup ratio in the cup. This makes the drink less sweet over time. McDonald's adds just enough syrup to reduce this effect. That means your first sip of McDonald's Coke is going to be a little sweeter than your fifth, but the drop-off is designed to be as subtle and slight as possible.
As a side note, ordering Coke with no ice at a McDonald's is a big no-no. It's literally designed to be served with ice, so the flavor is really different without it.
To slow down the dilution of flavor caused by melting ice, McDonald's pre-chills its syrup before it's mixed into your drink. This is critical not only to prevent dilution but also to keep the soda carbonated longer. Carbonation decreases rapidly at higher temperatures, so your drink becomes less carbonated the warmer it gets.
Not every restaurant pre-chills its syrup. In fact, the majority of fountain drink machines use a flash-chilling system that is much less efficient than McDonald's pre-chilling method. To go the extra mile, McDonald's even pre-chills the water that goes into the Coke.
McDonald’s Uses Steel Storage Tanks For Their Syrup Instead Of Plastic Bags Like Other Restaurants
In order to keep its ingredients as chilled as possible, McDonald's has developed its own system of transporting, storing, and dispensing Coca-Cola. A big part of this process is making sure the syrup does not spoil before it makes its way to the customer - and McDonald's has implemented some clever solutions to avoid this problem.
While most restaurants store their syrup in plastic bags (as pictured here), McDonald's uses special steel storage tanks designed to keep their contents cool. Syrup in plastic bags is much more vulnerable to the elements, and bags left in the open air can warm up over time. McDonald's steel tanks protect the syrup from temperature changes, as well as air and light exposure. This allows for flavor consistency across the chain's many locations.
