Portrait of Mexi-Cokes

Lately, I've grown very fond of the now-ubiquitous Mexi-Cokes. They remind me of having a Coke when I was a kid, which seemed like a treat, even though we drank a lot of them in my house. Once soft drinks (or sodas, depending on where you grew up) started being sold in larger and larger sizes, they lost a lot of their magic, as far as I'm concerned. Opening a heavy glass bottle with a bottle opener has a nice substantial feel, like opening a beer. The fact that they're more expensive makes them feel more special, too--I'm less likely to open one unless I really want it. Once I have one 12-ounce bottle, I'm done.

Also, they're made with cane sugar, rather than high fructose corn syrup. I've read that there really may not be that much difference in terms of causing obesity--the trick is just not to drink sweet drinks all the time--but it seems more real, like using butter instead of margarine.