We’ve been making Coca-Cola for 130 years, and it’s from that wealth of knowledge that we’ve devised the ‘perfect serve’. Find out how you might want to pour your Coca-Cola drink to literally taste the feeling.

Although Coca-Cola drinks taste great in any situation, the ritual of the perfect serve is multi-sensory. Whether you are drinking Coca-Cola Classic or the new and improved Coke Zero, embrace each of your 5 senses to fully maximise your Coca-Cola experience. Here’s how…

It’s summertime – laughter in the park, the smell of freshly-cut grass, and your favourite ice-cold Coca-Cola chilling in the picnic hamper.

Now close your eyes.

Step 1: Enjoy the feel of the ice-cold bottle in your hand
Without looking, could you recognise the curves of the iconic glass Coca-Cola Contour Bottle? From first sight it’s clearly Coca-Cola, but what about if you couldn’t see it? The Coca-Cola Contour Bottle was purposely designed to be so distinctive that you would recognise it purely by feel in the pitch dark.

Make sure your Contour Bottle is ice cold. Feel its crisp, translucent coating and the icy droplets nestling in its contours. Is your mouth watering before the drink is even poured?

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Perfect Serve

Step 2: Get a frosty, contoured glass
Choose the ideal glass for your delicious drink. Contour glasses are the business. Watch the effervescent bubbles as your drink is poured into your frosty glass. Just the look of a cold can or bottle of Coca-Cola can make you feel thirsty. Take note of the reflection of the iconic glass bottle on your table as the sun glints through the liquid. 

“Who can resist the welcome sound of a can or bottle opening on a hot and sticky summer’s day?”

Step 3: Listen to the crisp fizz of your drink over ice
Who can resist the welcome sound of a can or bottle cracking open on a hot and sticky summer’s day? Fill your glass with 2/3 of ice. When you pour your Coca-Cola drink into the glass, enjoy the sound of that crisp fizz.

When you pour your drink, the ice starts to crackle as the liquid winds its way to the bottom of the glass, with sparkling bubbles forming on the surface of the ice cubes. Are your taste buds teased, just through listening to the distinctive sound?

“Eating and drinking are genuinely multisensory experiences, and to truly enjoy food and drink we should embrace all of our senses”

- Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University

Step 4: Breathe in the mouth-watering aroma
You can’t beat the aroma of your favourite drink mixed with ice and citrus flavours. Pop half a slice of fresh lemon into your glass to complement the flavours, whether your tipple is Coca-Cola Classic or Coke Zero. Savour the refreshing aroma right before you sip your mouth-watering drink.

“Just the look of a cold can or bottle of Coca-Cola can make your mouth water”

Step 5: Enjoy the delicious taste of your favourite Coca-Cola drink
Each sip allows you to relive a memorable adventure of taste and nostalgia such as the ‘bite’ or ‘burn’ of a Coca-Cola drink. This is the primary taste sensation – the clean, distinctive blend of sweetness and sharpness that’s unique to Coca-Cola.

“Just as the sweet acidity of a fruit sorbet cleanses the palate between courses, a sweet drink can cut through and eliminate competing savoury flavours to enhance the culinary experience with every sip"

- Ben Reed, expert mixologist

Step 6: And finally, sit back, sip and relax
Whether it’s relaxing and unwinding with your favourite playlist of chilled-out music with your refreshing drink at your side, or sharing with friends at a summer barbeque in the back garden, there are many ways to enjoy your favourite Coca-Cola drink.

Did you know? The perfect serve is based on how the first Coca-Cola was delivered to the thirsty public. Direct from the soda stream, into a glass with ice and a slice of lemon. It’s still the optimum way to pour your Coca-Cola.

What’s your perfect serve? In a glass with ice? Straight from the can? Or sipping from a cold bottle through a paper straw? Let us know by tweeting us @CocaCola_Ind