ATLANTA -- The Coca-Cola Co. recently rolled out 11.8-oz. glass bottles with a resealable top, a test product being offered in only three citiesChicago, Phoenix and Atlanta, said the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Coke, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero bottles are marketed for individual sale in convenience stores for about $1. If they are a hit over the next few months, Coke could introduce them nationally, a spokesperson told the newspaper.
There are some folks for whom glass is the ultimate way to consume a Coca-Cola, said Scott Williamson. [image-nocss] And this combines [glass with] the convenience of resealability that is also a major plus for a lot of consumers.
Ads for the new bottlesGrab it in glasshave already begun to appear in Chicago, said the report.
It is a back-to-the-basics move for Coca-Cola, which was invented as a fountain beverage in 1886 and first bottled in 1894. Coke's iconic contour glass bottle was patented in 1916, but the company veered away from glass over the years in favor of cans and plastic bottles in the United States.
Coca-Cola still offers a limited number of 8-oz. Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite glass bottles with the metal crown tops. There's also a U.S. market for bootleg, Mexican-made Coke in glass bottles, a formula that uses cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup, the report said.
Now, by putting a white plastic twist-top on the glass bottle, Coca-Cola is trying to combine nostalgia with portability. Some fans insist Coke tastes better in glass, a claim the company acknowledges but does not support. The short answer is, that's a determination or distinction that a lot of consumers will insist on, but not one we've been able to empirically prove, Williamson told the Sun-Times.Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.