The Coke at McDonald’s is the exact same formula you’d get anywhere else, but somehow it tastes a bit different. Why?

The difference lies in how McDonald’s handles the ingredients before they go into your cup.

 

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Coke syrup is shipped to most restaurants and gas stations in plastic bags contained in cardboard boxes, but for McDonald’s (obviously a large and important buyer), Coke sends the product in stainless steel drums. Stainless steel better preserves the ingredients, keeping them fresh as they travel to their red-and-yellow-arched destinations.

Another secret is in the water temperature used for the carbonation. Most places store water in the fountain machine, dispensing it from there, but McDonald’s fountains pipe cold water directly from the refrigerator. A colder Coke is better at trapping CO2 bubbles, which keeps your drink fizzy for longer.

 

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McDonald’s also tweaks the syrup-to-water ratio in its machines to account for the fact that the majority of people drink soda over ice, which will melt and water down the product.

And their wider straws complete the experience that so many of us have come to expect – and love.