I’ve been researching various soft drinks brands and the history and competition with the more well-known soda giants and started to delve into Royal Crown Cola.
I wondered about its history, social appeal, and, more importantly, how it compared to Coke.
Let me share some of my findings with you.
So, the question is, is Royal Crown Cola (RC cola) better than Coca-cola?
First, Royal Crown Cola Company isn’t as famous as Coke because Coca-Cola makes almost double the yearly sales of Royal Crown Cola, according to data provided by Statistista.com.
In 10 taste-testers, RC Cola (Royal crown cola) reports as being like a blander Coca-Cola – where the flavor isn’t as impactful and robust.
Although RC Cola has a cult following, many love its distinct cola flavor, which is very different from Coke.
What Does RC Cola Taste Like?
Who makes RC cola?
Royal crown cola has a unique taste among soft drinks and is distinguishable from Coke and Pepsi in a blind taste test.
RC cola flavors include Cola, Cola Cherry, and Cola Lemon.
There are various other RC Products available.
Pepsi is also the second most popular cola after Coke.
Below I’ll explain the unique characteristics of this Cola, which came first, Coke, Pepsi, or RC Cola, and how the sales compare the different cola brands.
Does RC cola taste like Coke?
RC Cola and Coke taste similar; they are both colas, but the former tastes much lighter and slightly blander.
Coke, by comparison, has a very sharp, strong, and sweet taste, instantly recognizable the moment you take a sip.
They both have a similar ‘cola’ taste. However, it’s straightforward to taste the difference between them.
The name cola for energy drinks, such as RC Cola, Pepsi Cola, and Coca-Cola, come from the kola nut.
Which was an ingredient in earlier brews, according to Wikipedia. And is high in caffeine.
All carbonated drinks taste slightly bitter, which they get from the CO2 gas that makes them fizzy.
CO2 is a mild acid similar to what naturally occurs in fruit such as lemons and limes.
I recently explained this in more detail in an article about why sparkling water tastes bitter.
You can read that article by clicking Why Does Sparkling Water Taste Bitter?
Coca-Cola is the most popular cola and dwarfs the sales of RC Cola.
Here’s a breakdown of how big the major soda companies are:
| Brand | % market share (2016) | % market share (2017) | % market share (2018) | % market share (2019) |
| Coca Cola | 42.4% | 42.8% | 43.2% | 43.7% |
| PepsiCo | 26.4% | 25.6% | 24.9% | 24.1% |
| Keurig Dr. Pepper (RC Cola) |
17.6% | 17.9% | 17.9% | 18.2% |
| Refresco | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.6% | 3.8% |
| National Beverage | 3% | 2.9% | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Other | 6.8% | 7.1% | 7.2% | 7.1% |
Data provided by Statista.com.
And as you can see Coca Cola has almost two times the sales of RC Cola.
According to Wikipedia, the RC Cola brand and recipes were acquired by Keurig Dr. Pepper .
What Does RC Cola Stand For?
Is RC cola good?
RC cola stands for Royal Crown Cola. Royal crown cola is in the ballpark for today’s third most popular cola drink in the US Beverage Industry.
Companies that are smaller than this Cola are Refresco and National Beverage.
I have never heard of any Refresco drinks, and they don’t say what drinks they make on their official website.
National Beverage, on the other hand, makes:
- La Croix (I’ve heard of this one)
- Rip it
- Clear fruit
- Everfresh
- Shasta
- Faygo
Is RC Cola a Coke product?
Royal Crown Cola is not a Coca-Cola product.
It is owned by a company called Keurig Dr. Pepper which acquired RC Cola international. Keurig Dr. Pepper makes many well-known sodas, including Schweppes, Canada Dry, and 7Up.
As well as well-known coffee and bottled water brands.
Keurig Dr. Pepper makes the following sodas, of this list I’ve heard of 2 or 3 of them:
- Pepper (I heard of it)
- A&W Root beer (heard of it, has a brown label)
- Sunkist (heard of it)
- Crush
- Sun Drop
- IBC
- Diet Rite
- Squirt
- Vernors
- Hires
- Stewart’s
- Big Red
- CPlus
- Cactus Cooler
- Nehi Cola
- Tahitian Treat
They also own the popular Snapple range of fruit drinks with Cane Sugar, Evian – bottled water, and Gloria Jean’s coffee.
As you may be aware, all the major cola brands are brown, and I wondered why that was.
I found some fascinating information about the color of Coca-Cola and why it’s probably the same reason other colas are brown and put it together in an article.
For a quick idea, they are brown due to added caramel color.
Moreover, the caramel color comes from natural sweeteners like inverted sugar, sucrose, Fructose Corn Syrup, and malt syrup.
Manufacturers make these sweeteners from cane sugar, maize, and grams of sugar beets.
If you’re interested to know more about why colas are brown, then click here, why is coca cola brown, to read the article.
How popular is RC Cola?
All three companies have multiple carbonated drink products, so that is a rough estimate.
According to Keurig Dr. Pepper’s 2019 Annual report, RC cola is one of their most popular carbonated drinks.
However, they don’t give exact numbers for each soda they make.
I have been unable to find any data in Coca-Cola’s earnings reports and presentations about the percentage of sales that Coca-Cola makes from just its Coca-Cola drink and syrup.
However, my instincts tell me it’s quite a large percentage.
And comparable to the percentage of Royal Crown Cola sold by Keurig Dr. Pepper.
If you know where I can find this information, please let me know in the comments.
Can you buy RC Cola?
It is available at many supermarkets, Grocery Wholesalers, Grocery Stores, and stores throughout the US.
You can also buy it online on websites like Amazon.com.
It is sold in stores such as Dollar General Stores and Walmart and on their websites.
You can also find it in some 7/11 stores.
Royal Crown Cola is less popular than Coke and Pepsi, so it’s less available.
However, it’s still very easy to source, as Walmart and 7/11 stores have this everywhere.
Royal Crown Cola is internationally available in 67 countries, according to their website.
RC Cola price
What happened to RC cola?
Based on the pricing on the Walmart website. RC Cola and Coca-Cola are both priced precisely the same.
A 2-liter (67.6 oz) bottle costs $1.25.
RC Cola or Royal Crown Cola has a few different flavors, including coffee and lemon-flavored RC Cola.
Is RC Cola older than Coke?
When Royal crown cola was invented, Mr. Hatcher created a Royal Crown Ginger Ale, Royal Crown Root Beer, and Royal Crown strawberry.
Coke is also older than Pepsi because Pepsi was invented in 1893 by Caleb Davis Bradham, as explained on the official Pepsi website.
Pepsi was initially called Pepsi Cola because it was made of kola nut extract.
The inventor also thought that the drink helps with digestion, similar to the chemical Pepsin.
Pepsin naturally occurs in your stomach and is thought to be responsible for breaking down protein.
Which is found in large amounts in foods such as meat, eggs, and beans.
RC Cola VS Coke
Royal crown Cola is not as famous as Coca-Cola, and for this reason, Coca-Cola is better.
Coca-Cola has a more pungent, impactful taste, whereas RC cola international is quite bland.
It is owned by Keurig Dr. Pepper, which Coca-Cola doesn’t win.
Pepsi Cola has more sales of its cola than RC Cola international among soft drinks.
Royal crown Cola is still widely available by Royal Crown Cola Company in stores such as Walmart and 7/11.
And Coca-Cola was invented before Royal crown cola international (RC Cola).
I’m the owner and blogger here at SodaPopCraft.Com. I’m a soft drinks enthusiast, bringing you all I know and research from the world of Beverages, Soda Pop, Soft Drinks, and many more.
I hope it inspires you to make Healthier, and Creative Drinks at Home.
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