Coca-Cola Zero

Wow.

Just tried Coca-Cola Zero, Coke's newest zero calorie soda. It's really good. It really tastes very similar to regular Coke. Much closer than any of the other diet sodas currently on the market, and- surprisingly- closer even than the "half-diet" Coke C2 and Pepsi Edge that came out this time last year.

There must be some pretty hefty technological (chemical) advances going on in this product to be able to take such a strong step forward in texture and taste- still with zero calories- compared to the current generation of diet sodas. I wouldn't be surprised if Coke's had the capability to make this for a while but didn't want to cannibalize regular Coke sales. Now that carb-rich regular soda is almost as tainted a substance as asbestos, however, that risk is much lower.

Ironically, I think Coke Zero is probably a bigger threat- at least short-term- to regular Coke than to Diet. Diet Coke drinkers (my hand is raised) tend to drink a LOT of Diet Coke, since it's kind of like a "free" pleasure. One of the features of Diet Coke that makes it so easy to drink so much of is its really crisp, not-too-sugary taste. Drinking Diet Coke is a unique experience, unlike anything else. It's not like "drinking" a "beverage". It's just like drinking Diet Coke.

Coke Zero, on the other hand, tastes so much like regular, sugar-laden Coca-Cola that it may be difficult to drink as much of it.

Now this is a dilemma.