Go to the soda aisle of any supermarket, and you’ll find the same thing: huge sections of shelves dedicated to red and white cans. Coca-Cola has long held the crown for the world’s most valuable soft drink brand, according to Brand Finance’s 2021 report, but I don’t buy the hype.

I distinctly remember my first taste of the bubbly brown brew. At a school event, there was nothing to drink but Coke, so I cracked open a can and took a sip. My taste buds were assaulted by a blend of sickly sweetness and dirt with a hint of citrus. It was like root beer that’s been filtered through a compost pile. After a fit of coughing, I tossed the can into the trash.

I’ve tried Coke a few more times since then and have always been disgusted. How did such a rank concoction become the most popular soda in the world? I think the answer can be boiled down to addiction and aggressive advertising.

Coca-Cola gets its name from the two main ingredients of the original recipe; coca leaf and kola nut extracts, according to Britannica. Kola nuts are a natural source of caffeine, while coca leaf extract is better known as cocaine. Created by a morphine addict in 1886, the drink was first marketed as “medicine”.

While modern Coke doesn’t contain illicit drugs, the formula still relies on the addictive properties of sugar and caffeine. Energy drinks are also loaded with these substances, but they’re marketed to those looking to get a boost, while Coke is peddled as a beverage for everyone.

Coke advertisements are always full of attractive, smiling models desperate to look like they enjoy it. Riding on the literal high Coke provides, the public drinks it all down and looks for more. They say it’s an acquired taste, but not one I intend to get hooked by.