MW Why kosher-for-Passover Coca-Cola is going viral among non-Jewish shoppers

By Charles Passy

The product, distinguished by its yellow cap, is made with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup. Some people can't get enough.

Why is this two-liter bottle of Coca-Cola different from all other two-liter bottles of Coca-Cola?

With the eight-day Passover holiday beginning Saturday with the seder meal - and its "Why is this night different?" question - the play on wording is apt: During Passover, when Jews abstain from eating or drinking any products made with leavening, Coca-Cola $(KO)$ releases a special kosher-for-Passover version of its signature sip in those two-liter bottles, identified by the fact it has a yellow cap instead of the standard red one.

The key ingredient difference between the kosher-for-Passover Coke and the rest-of-the-year one? The former is made with cane sugar, while the latter uses high-fructose corn syrup - corn is considered a verboten Passover item by some Jews. But the yellow-cap Coke, as it's often simply known, is now finding a significant fan base among non-Jews, because they consider it the "real" Coke.

That is, the cane-sugar version hearkens back to how the soft drink was made decades ago, before high-fructose corn syrup became a popular substitute in many food and drink items as a cost-savings measure.

For some consumers, the preference for cane sugar is a matter of taste. But others also see it as a health issue, since medical researchers and experts have warned of problems associated with consumption of high-fructose corn syrup.

The kosher-for-Passover Coca-Cola appears to be similar to Mexican-made Coca-Cola, which uses cane sugar and can be found in some U.S. stores and restaurants. But the south-of-the-border Coke typically costs more - it's an imported product, after all - whereas the kosher-for-Passover one is priced similarly to the standard Coke, shoppers have found.

Count St. Louis resident Frank Scaduto as one of the fans of yellow-cap Coke. He's not Jewish, but he's a Coke lover who swears by the cane-sugar version, so he keeps a few extra two-liter kosher-for-Passover bottles on hand to enjoy post-Passover.

Scaduto said the flavor difference between the two Coke versions is palpable. "You can just taste the unnatural sugar," he said of the corn-syrup formulation.

On social media, you'll find plenty of people who feel the same way Scaduto does, and who are buying in bulk and encouraging others to do so.

"Right now is the time to stock up on Coca-Cola," said one cane-sugar Coke aficionado on TikTok.

Of course, Jews who are passionate about Coca-Cola are just as likely to purchase the soda for the holiday and thereafter. "I buy like 10 of them," said Aida Phillips, a Jewish resident of Miami and longtime Coke drinker. She, too, thinks the cane-sugar version is better.

"I feel it's sweeter," Phillips said. "And the aftertaste is not as strong as the regular Coke."

Does all this add up to increased sales for Coca-Cola, notwithstanding the fact it generally costs more to produce products with cane sugar versus high-fructose corn syrup? The company didn't respond to a MarketWatch request for sales information. Nor did it comment on any taste differences, perceived or real, between the two versions.

But a Coca-Cola spokesperson noted that the company has been offering kosher-for-Passover products since the mid-1930s. Even though high-fructose corn syrup wasn't an issue decades ago, there can be other factors that make a product kosher-for-Passover, according to experts familiar with the Jewish dietary laws.

Elie Rosenfeld, chief executive of Joseph Jacobs Advertising, a firm that specializes in marketing products to Jewish customers, said yellow-cap Coke is not the only kosher-for-Passover product that finds fans among non-Jewish shoppers.

Rosenfeld's company works with Manischewitz, the prominent producer of kosher products, and he notes that some of the items in its Passover line have wide appeal. He cites a few of the specialty macaroons the company releases for the holiday, such as a Rocky Road one, as being big sellers that are all the more prized because they're available for a limited time. "You won't find them in July," he said.

Meanwhile, at least one New York City chef may be looking to stock up on kosher-for-Passover Coca-Cola.

Akhtar Nawab, who's behind the Mexican restaurant Alta Calidad, offers the Mexican Coke at his establishment and also uses it in one of his most popular dishes - lamb ribs covered in a sauce made with the soft drink. He prefers the taste of the cane-sugar version but wasn't aware of the lower-cost yellow-cap product until recently.

"I love hearing this," he said.

-Charles Passy

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April 11, 2025 18:05 ET (22:05 GMT)

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