Why do some Coca-Cola bottles have a yellow cap? Here’s why you might want to seek it out
The color red has become synonymous with Coca-Cola — so why are loyal customers seeing bottles with a yellow cap in the spring?
The yellow top indicates that the bottle is kosher for Passover, a Jewish holiday in which certain foods and ingredients are not consumed in observance of religious restrictions.
While the classic Coca-Cola with the matching red cap is considered kosher year-round, Passover begs a more stringent level of kosher dining, with the addition of corn syrup in the standard Coke recipe notwithstanding.
For Passover, Jewish people avoid eating chametz (leavened grain), and Ashkenazi Jews, in particular, refrain from eating kitniyot (legumes). Since corn is included in the general category of legumes, corn syrup is not allowed as part of the Passover restrictions.
So when you see a Coca-Cola bottle with a yellow cap, it means the drink recipe includes real sugar, not corn syrup.
It’s a hot tip for the Coke heads who prefer the flavor of the granulated sweet stuff over processed sugars.
According to a 2006 article from The Boston Globe, the drink’s formula was originally made with sugar, but the company switched to corn syrup in 1980 to save money.
Passover this year will be celebrated from April 22 – April 30, so be on the lookout for the yellow-capped sugary soda if you want to taste how Coca-Cola tasted back in the day.
