Yellow Cap Coke Is Back In Mass. Here’s Why It Tastes Different.

Passover begins this Saturday, and if you've been wandering the soda aisle at Market 32 or Big Y lately, you may have noticed something a little different on the shelves. Coca-Cola bottles sporting bright yellow caps instead of the usual red. Here's what that means, and why a lot of people, Jewish or not, are stocking up.

Every spring, Coca-Cola releases a limited run of soda made specifically for Passover observance. Standard Coca-Cola in the U.S. is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, and during Passover, that ingredient is off-limits for many observant Jews.

High fructose corn syrup is derived from corn, a grain considered too closely related to the leavened bread that's forbidden during the holiday. So the yellow cap version swaps it out for cane sugar instead. -breezyscroll.com

The story behind the switch actually traces back to a rabbi in Atlanta back in 1935, who worked with Coca-Cola to make the formula kosher and eventually approved for Passover consumption.

Here's the thing though. This isn't just for the Jewish community. The yellow cap bottles have built a cult following well beyond religious observance, with many consumers saying the cane sugar version tastes cleaner and less syrupy than the standard formula.

Think of it like Mexican Coke, which is also made with cane sugar, but without the higher price tag.

Availability tends to be strongest in areas with larger Jewish populations, so Berkshire County shoppers may want to check local stores sooner rather than later. These don't stick around long.

Passover runs from April 19 through April 27 this year.