Consider the Geezers

The dangers of too much dietary sugar---in particular high-fructose corn syrup---have been known for years, but sometimes one just has to have that combination of caffeine, sweetness, and fizz found in a cola soft-drink. For the past three years I've been buying Mexico-bottled Coca-Cola from Costco.

Mexican Coke uses cane sugar and comes in retro heavy glass bottles. It's pricier than regular Coke or Pepsi, but at about a buck a bottle (more expensive at smaller retailers) compares favorably to high-end sodas. Drinking Mexican Coke has become a trend:

Mexican Coke is the new black. MexiCoke, as it is also called, is imported from Mexico and is sweetened by pure cane sugar, rather than the corn syrup found in the American version. Devotees say it delivers a sugar-infused, caffeine-amplified buzz, which is a particular draw for stay-up-all-night coders, writers and musicians. For hard-core fans, it’s Mexican Coke or none at all.

Note to all the viral marketers who look to teens and twenty-somethings for the next big thing: consider the geezers, a demographic which wants health and convenience, has money to spend, and is no longer saving to buy a house or put a kid through college. © 2014 Stephen Yuen