The Nuanced Beauty of Coke

For a simple combination of sugar and carbonated water Coke really is a remarkable beverage. Take for instance its ability to take on subtle differences in taste based on the way it is stored.
1. Can
2. Bottle
3. Sack-o-Syrup (for taps. Can be great if the mix is right)

Canned coke imbibed directly from the can is probably the worst Coke experience one can have. It should be avoided at all costs and is generally the result of laziness, haste, or a summer outing lacking in proper resources. The only potentially worse way to enjoy a Coke is from a badly mixed tap. Bottled coke and tap coke can be on par with each other with some caveats. Bottled coke is more consistent so you take on less risk of a taste infringement. On the other hand a tap coke is more likely to be served over ice, which is a huge taste enhancer. To put them on equal footing would require serving the tap coke without ice, which is highly discouraged. So, really one has to concede this battle to the bottle. Moving on to formula.

Coke, as perfect and reliable as it has been to all of us for so many years (ignoring the new coke disaster), is not one unified formula. It actually varies by country/region. The three varieties I have tasted are in order of magnificence:
1. Mexico
2. USA
3. Italy

To be fair I haven't tasted the European flavor in some time and the circumstances I tried it under were less than ideal. Nonetheless I had a bad experience that has stuck with me. Setting that aside the Mexican formula is 'El Awesome'. Hands down the best coke formula in the known universe.

And now to a venue for the coke event. First a container must be chosen. Again in order of taste from greatest to least.
1. A glass glass
2. A plastic cup
3. A paper cup
4. A Styrofoam cup

This list is pretty straight forward. Similar to the principles of glass bottling, glass drinking provides a consistently superior coking.

Finally we come to the cooling mechanism. Again in order of awesome.
1. Crushed ice
2. Cubed ice
3. No Ice - chilled
4. Ice emulator (plastic dealy filled with water or some such)
5. No Ice - warm.

(I'll skip here the discussion of the proper care of ice without which your coke experience may be marred by the taste of refrigeration device.) I'm sure what stands out to you here is that plastic ice imitators have been trashed. This is just what they deserve. To drink a coke is to bask in the glory of its sugary goodness. Why screw this up by adding the experience of sucking on plastic? No. The taste of plastic sux. The only thing that it trumps is a 100% warm coke. The warm coke is the bastard step-son of cokes. You don't want it. Nobody wants it. Don't waste your time.