Coca-Cola’s glass bottle has become one of the most recognizable pieces of packaging in history. PepsiCo has spent decades trying to create a similar connection with consumers.
“Every consumer goods company wants to find a unique way to present itself to the public, and this, for us, has been the Holy Grail,” Phil Mooney, Coca-Cola’s company historian, told CBS News, speaking of the chain’s iconic glass bottle.
And even though less than 1% of Coke has been sold in glass bottles since the early 1990s, Coca-Cola has leaned into using the iconic imagery in its advertising.
“Coca-Cola’s advertising sought to evoke nostalgia, and for this the company used imagery of the old hobble-skirt glass bottle, often ice-cold with beads of condensation dripping down it. It had used the distinctive bottle since 1916,” according to Wired.
It’s an image people know, even if that’s no longer what they drink their soda out of.
PepsiCo has never had the same connection to glass bottles, but it has used them and recently tried to rival the success of a classic Coke product that’s still sold in a glass bottle.
Pepsi Real Sugar, launched in 2009 as Pepsi Throwback, is essentially PepsiCo’s answer to Mexican Coke, a version of Coca-Cola sold largely in the country from which it derives its name, and also found on U.S. shelves.
Now, while Coca-Cola has a new take on real-sugar Coke, PepsiCo has quietly pulled back its efforts in that emerging space.
Americans say they want real sugar in Coca-Cola
In recent years, there has been pushback against the artificial sweeteners used in soda. A number of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo rivals, including Jones Soda and Jarritos, built their brands around the idea of using real sugar to sweeten their drinks.
Americans do seem to prefer real sugar, according to a poll conducted by MarketWatch in July 2025.
The website asked people, “Which sweetener would you prefer in your Coca-Cola?”
Cane sugar was the overwhelming winner at 76%. “It doesn’t matter” came in second at 18.6%. High fructose corn syrup snagged only 2.8% of the vote, while corn syrup received 2.2%.
“Some users shared alternative sweeteners they’d prefer — like monk fruit and stevia — while others claimed to either not have a problem with high-fructose corn syrup or not have a preference. Others pointed out the alleged health benefits of swapping out high-fructose corn syrup for cane sugar,” MarketWatch reported.
Medical science actually doesn’t generally agree with the idea that one sugar is better than the other.
“Added sugars come from a variety of sources and go by many different names, yet they are all a source of extra calories and are metabolized by the body the same way. A common misconception exists that some added sugars such as high fructose corn syrup are unhealthy, while others such as agave nectar (from the succulent plant) are healthy,” according to Harvard Medical School.
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Americans want real sugar sodas
The Food and Drug Administration also says there is no evidence of any difference in safety among foods sweetened with high fructose corn syrup as opposed to cane sugar, honey, or other traditional sweeteners.
Despite what medical science says, there has been significant demand for so-called “real sugar sodas.” Coca-Cola has been offering a version of its classic product made with cane sugar for more than 20 years.
“Coke has indulged U.S. fans by importing Mexican Coke, which is made with cane sugar, since 2005. Coke positions Mexican Coke as an upscale alternative and sells it in glass bottles,” Beverage Digest Editor Duane Stanford told the Associated Press.
In addition, Coca-Cola recently added a cane-sugar version of its classic beverage that’s made in the United States.
“As part of our ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, we plan to expand our trademark Coca-Cola product range with U.S. cane sugar to reflect consumer interest in differentiated experiences,” former CEO James Quincey said during the company second-quarter 2025 earnings call.
PepsiCo quietly discontinued a cane-sugar Pepsi
PepsiCo launched its “Throwback” products in 2009 as an answer to Mexican Coke and an attempt to win business using a variation on its rival’s classic glass bottle.
“Pepsi and Mountain Dew are offering consumers a taste of the past with their own versions of Throwback, two new limited time only products inspired by the ’60s and ’70s, sweetened with natural sugar in a retro-look package,” the company shared in a press release.
At launch, the line, which in Pepsi’s case was renamed “Pepsi Made With Real Sugar,” was only sold in glass bottles. Cans were added to the line, and now, without an announcement, PepsiCo has stopped offering Pepsi Made With Real Sugar in glass bottles.
That was confirmed using Pepsi’s Product Locator feature on its website.
Pepsi’s strategy made sense, but Coca-Cola had too much of a head start in the category, RTM Nexus CEO Dominick Miserandino told TheStreet.
“Mexican Coke in the iconic glass bottle became a cultural phenomenon and a restaurant staple precisely because Coke understood the power of tactile packaging and real cane sugar. Pepsi was moving in on that tactile real sugar market but everybody knows Mexican Coke,” he said.
Pepsi Made With Real Sugar could make a comeback
Sometimes soda companies remove a product in order to get media attention when it returns. That’s what happened with the glass bottle version of Mountain Dew Throwback.
“Mountain Dew eventually rebranded Throwback as Mountain Dew Real Sugar in November 2019, though this didn’t last very long. Despite limited regional availability in 2020, this flavor was finally discontinued as of February 2024,” according to Tasting Table.
PepsiCo never issues press releases when it discontinues a product, but Mountain Dew Real Sugar is no longer listed on the Mountain Dew product page.
The product, however, recently made a comeback at very select retailers.
“Mountain Dew with Real Sugar just got a brand new look,” the Sodaseekers Instagram page reported. “Select retailers, including @kcsodaco in Kansas City, Missouri.”
In addition to the Sodaseekers report, which references new inventory, Amazon, eBay, and specialty shops, including Concord Market, offer legacy or imported versions of Mountain Dew Real Sugar.
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