Opinion: Coke Coffee is Soda-lightful

Imagine the taste of carbonated ice-cold Coca-Cola mixed with rich, creamy coffee. Disgusting, right?

Wrong. 

Coke Coffee made its first appearance in the school’s vending machines last year, and many were appalled, me included.   

I figured two completely different drinks mixed together must be a mess, especially because most people have a love/hate relationship with Coca-Cola and coffee itself. What student with no extra cash to spare would willingly risk $2 on a drink like that? 

Well, myself and others like sophomore Kevin Seery. 

“It gives me energy, so I don’t fall asleep in class,” he said.  

The first time he tried the life-changing beverage was after a long night. He had gone to sleep at 2 a.m. after a FaceTime call and in turn was exhausted in class. He wanted caffeine, and Coke Coffee intrigued him. 

It was the perfect pick-me-up at the time, and now he drinks it “every day.”

My dad, who worked at Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta for 14 years, condemns my love for the drink. It reminds me of how he would make a disgusted face at me and my sister every time we ordered a Pepsi product.  

He’s never tried it though, and he reminds me of students who judge the brown and red bottle before taking a sip. 

“Never judge a book by its cover,” Seery said.

That’s an old, classic line, but it works perfectly for this situation. Seery said most people say they won’t ever try the drink and it sounds disgusting. 

There are two flavors in the vending machines: vanilla and dark roast. I tried the former at first because I love coffee with vanilla-flavored cream. 

Senior Paige Dwyer said the drink is “mostly just Coke,” and the coffee aspect is not as prominent. 

Sophomore Cami Krznarich agrees and enjoys the drink despite not liking coffee. 

That means vanilla Coke Coffee tastes mostly like vanilla soda, and I’m not the biggest fan of cola of that flavor. I liked vanilla Coke Coffee enough to drink it an unhealthy amount, though. 

The day I decided to try the dark blend flavor, however, I could hear angels singing sweet melodies straight into my ears. 

I had always been worried the dark blend version would be acrid like dark roast coffee. I’ve always preferred light roast. Fortunately, though, it was not bitter. I failed to realize the sweet taste of soda would balance everything out.  

My recommendation as a Coke Coffee connoisseur is to go for the vanilla version if you enjoy soda of that flavor. If you don’t, I welcome you to the dark blend Coke Coffee fan club. There aren’t many of us. 

“My friend gave me the dark blend and I didn’t like it,” Seery said. 

I introduced my friend to the drink as Seery’s friend did to him, and I think I’ve created a monster. 

I don’t even drink it as often as she does. 

Of course, she started off with the vanilla version. She was apprehensive, but soon she was drinking it every day. One time I urged her to branch out to the other variation, and after taking a sip of my flavor of choice, she was hooked. 

She still drinks Coke Coffee daily, but now it’s of the superior taste. We take a trip to the vending machines every lunch break, and every time, without fail, we walk out with her having $2 less in her name. She has told me she’s gotten her other friends to love it, too. 

My friend, others and I judged the drink before we tasted it, and now, we love it.