Monday, May 5, 2025

Pepsi Nitro Draft Cola

I'm glad I grabbed these when I did as it turns out that Pepsi has recently discontinued their Nitro beverages. Available in both draft cola as well as vanilla draft cola flavors, these cans contain a "widget" which infuses the drink with nitrogen when opened. This is similar to the widget pioneered by Guinness for their stout beers. The idea seems to be that the nitrogen creates a smoother texture to the drink, probably owing to smaller bubbles than those made by carbon-dioxide. 

I happen to be traveling at the moment so I don't have any glassware available, but I've just noticed that the can advises to "pour hard" the chilled soda into a glass after opening. Since I've no glassware on hand, I'm going to be drinking these straight from the can. Cracking the top startled me with the sound from the widget. I thought the can was going to fizz out and spill all over the place, before realizing it was just the sound from the widget. There's a definite frothy head to it, very similar in texture and color to the head of a properly poured draft of Guinness. Wow, I would not have thought simply changing from traditional carbon-dioxide to nitrogen would have such a remarkable difference. The drink does taste creamier and silky in texture. It's a mellow, creamy cola flavor, but not in a vanilla or ice cream float sense. I wish I'd tried this sooner so I could have enjoyed it more before Pepsi discontinued. Hope they'll reconsider someday and bring them back. Maybe we should try aerating sodas with other inert gases too!

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