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When I was a Google SRE, during one trip to Zurich I complained that I hated the lack of my standard vice, Diet Coke, in Europe (they have "Coke Light" instead)

When I was a Google SRE, during one trip to Zurich I complained that I hated the lack of my standard vice, Diet Coke, in Europe (they have "Coke Light" instead). My boss didn't believe me that I could tell the difference... so he brought some back to the States and we ran a blind test. (I think we also added Pepsi and some other things.) My recollection is that I got every sample correct, but we definitely didn't have that many! I wonder what the probability of a false positive was in that case. (I no longer drink Diet Coke, but I still maintain that Coke Light -- and Coke Zero which I believe to be the same formula -- is gross.)

725686 7y ago
How is you having been a Google SRE relevant?
- scarejunba 7y ago
  It's story flavour. Most people telling stories stick random details in like that.
- jamesrom 7y ago
  How is this question relevant to the anecdote?
ValentineC 7y ago
> I no longer drink Diet Coke, but I still maintain that Coke Light -- and Coke Zero which I believe to be the same formula -- is gross. Here, we have Coke Light, and Coke No Sugar (formerly known as Zero). Coke Light probably tastes similar to Diet Coke, while Coke No Sugar has sucralose instead of aspartame to make it taste closer to regular sugar/HFCS Coke.
- kgwgk 7y ago
  It seems “No Sugar” (which I just heard of for the first time) is supposed to replace Zero but it’s not quite the same. (Anyway, even the “same” type of Coke is not the same across markets and if I remember correctly the Zero brand has been used for quite different products). https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/coke-no-sugar-is-supposed-to-be-replacing-coke-zero-but-australians-arent-playing-along/news-story/554d56b24aa232767dd62a3f07dfb7b0 https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/coke-no-suga... Edit: in which market do you say sucralose being used in “no sugar” coke? I can’t find any reference other than to “diet coke with splenda” (a brand of sucralose, which is used in combination with aspartame in that “diet” coke).
  - ValentineC 7y ago
    > in which market do you say sucralose being used in “no sugar” coke? That would be Singapore. Here's a hotlink to an ingredient label images from one of our online supermarkets: http://laz-img-sg.alicdn.com/p/54a80f275b284804aa4000e9fa8999be.jpg_2200x2200q80.jpg http://laz-img-sg.alicdn.com/p/54a80f275b284804aa4000e9fa899... (original page: https://www.lazada.sg/products/coca-cola-zero-sugar-i301110775-s527092628.html https://www.lazada.sg/products/coca-cola-zero-sugar-i3011107...) I used to remember aspartame being present in Coke Zero, so Coke No Sugar (which seems to be marketed interchangeably as Coke Zero Sugar in this case) could actually be a new formula.
    - kgwgk 7y ago
      Interesting, thanks. The zero brand seems to have been retired, and both "no sugar" and "light" use sucralose + acesulfame-K as sweetener (that's also the case for the US "diet coke with splenda” I mentioned, I mistakenly said it contains aspartame). https://www.coca-cola.com.sg/brands/coca-cola/coca-cola-no-sugar https://www.coca-cola.com.sg/brands/coca-cola/coca-cola-no-s... It seems, however, that in other countries both "no sugar" and "diet" contain aspartame + acesulfame-K (and cyclamate in some cases, but it's forbidden in some countries).
- SyneRyder 7y ago
  Coke No Sugar and Coke Zero are different formulas, at least in Australia. It was a big enough deal that major supermarkets refused to carry Coke No Sugar when it launched here next to Zero [1], and Dominos Pizza switched their contract from Coke to Pepsi over it. [2] Personally I was a fan & regular drinker of Coke Zero. But I tried Coke No Sugar & didn't like it as much, and I switched all my spending to Pepsi Max once Coke Zero was discontinued. Interestingly, in Australia, Pepsi Max is owned by Asahi and is the #1 diet cola, even above the Coca-Cola brands. [1] https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/coke-no-sugar-is-supposed-to-be-replacing-coke-zero-but-australians-arent-playing-along/news-story/554d56b24aa232767dd62a3f07dfb7b0 https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/coke-no-suga... [2] https://thewest.com.au/business/retail/woolworths-cans-new-coca-cola-no-sugar-drink-ng-b88528725z https://thewest.com.au/business/retail/woolworths-cans-new-c...
ngcc_hk 7y ago
Thought Diet Coke gave you Brain cancer and stopped. Switch to Coke Zero. I think the latest white can coke good. Got some fibre inside and keep you slim :-))))
proverbialbunny 7y ago
>My boss didn't believe me that I could tell the difference... so he brought some back to the States and we ran a blind test. Odd he didn't believe you, given the difference between the two is so striking.

725686 7y ago

How is you having been a Google SRE relevant?

scarejunba 7y ago
It's story flavour. Most people telling stories stick random details in like that.
jamesrom 7y ago
How is this question relevant to the anecdote?

ValentineC 7y ago

> I no longer drink Diet Coke, but I still maintain that Coke Light -- and Coke Zero which I believe to be the same formula -- is gross. Here, we have Coke Light, and Coke No Sugar (formerly known as Zero). Coke Light probably tastes similar to Diet Coke, while Coke No Sugar has sucralose instead of aspartame to make it taste closer to regular sugar/HFCS Coke.

kgwgk 7y ago
It seems “No Sugar” (which I just heard of for the first time) is supposed to replace Zero but it’s not quite the same. (Anyway, even the “same” type of Coke is not the same across markets and if I remember correctly the Zero brand has been used for quite different products). https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/coke-no-sugar-is-supposed-to-be-replacing-coke-zero-but-australians-arent-playing-along/news-story/554d56b24aa232767dd62a3f07dfb7b0 https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/coke-no-suga... Edit: in which market do you say sucralose being used in “no sugar” coke? I can’t find any reference other than to “diet coke with splenda” (a brand of sucralose, which is used in combination with aspartame in that “diet” coke).
- ValentineC 7y ago
  > in which market do you say sucralose being used in “no sugar” coke? That would be Singapore. Here's a hotlink to an ingredient label images from one of our online supermarkets: http://laz-img-sg.alicdn.com/p/54a80f275b284804aa4000e9fa8999be.jpg_2200x2200q80.jpg http://laz-img-sg.alicdn.com/p/54a80f275b284804aa4000e9fa899... (original page: https://www.lazada.sg/products/coca-cola-zero-sugar-i301110775-s527092628.html https://www.lazada.sg/products/coca-cola-zero-sugar-i3011107...) I used to remember aspartame being present in Coke Zero, so Coke No Sugar (which seems to be marketed interchangeably as Coke Zero Sugar in this case) could actually be a new formula.
  - kgwgk 7y ago
    Interesting, thanks. The zero brand seems to have been retired, and both "no sugar" and "light" use sucralose + acesulfame-K as sweetener (that's also the case for the US "diet coke with splenda” I mentioned, I mistakenly said it contains aspartame). https://www.coca-cola.com.sg/brands/coca-cola/coca-cola-no-sugar https://www.coca-cola.com.sg/brands/coca-cola/coca-cola-no-s... It seems, however, that in other countries both "no sugar" and "diet" contain aspartame + acesulfame-K (and cyclamate in some cases, but it's forbidden in some countries).
SyneRyder 7y ago
Coke No Sugar and Coke Zero are different formulas, at least in Australia. It was a big enough deal that major supermarkets refused to carry Coke No Sugar when it launched here next to Zero [1], and Dominos Pizza switched their contract from Coke to Pepsi over it. [2] Personally I was a fan & regular drinker of Coke Zero. But I tried Coke No Sugar & didn't like it as much, and I switched all my spending to Pepsi Max once Coke Zero was discontinued. Interestingly, in Australia, Pepsi Max is owned by Asahi and is the #1 diet cola, even above the Coca-Cola brands. [1] https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/coke-no-sugar-is-supposed-to-be-replacing-coke-zero-but-australians-arent-playing-along/news-story/554d56b24aa232767dd62a3f07dfb7b0 https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/coke-no-suga... [2] https://thewest.com.au/business/retail/woolworths-cans-new-coca-cola-no-sugar-drink-ng-b88528725z https://thewest.com.au/business/retail/woolworths-cans-new-c...

ngcc_hk 7y ago

Thought Diet Coke gave you Brain cancer and stopped. Switch to Coke Zero. I think the latest white can coke good. Got some fibre inside and keep you slim :-))))

proverbialbunny 7y ago

>My boss didn't believe me that I could tell the difference... so he brought some back to the States and we ran a blind test. Odd he didn't believe you, given the difference between the two is so striking.