Ahh, Diet Coke. Wherever you find yourself during a British summer, you won't have to go far to hear the familiar fizzing sound of one of the nation's favourite drinks being poured. Prefaced by a snap, and followed by an 'ah', the noise is almost as ubiquitous as the squawking of seagulls beside the seaside. It's not just a summer fizz either, as Diet Coke fans enjoy the delicious bubbles all year-round.
But there's still lots about the thirst-quencher even the most devoted of fans might be surprised to learn. As Diet Coke celebrates its 40th anniversary, we have rounded up 10 facts you can share with your friends the next time to crack open a cold one.
1. Diet Coke has a different formula to Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
You would be forgiven for thinking Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar use variations of the same recipe, but you would be wrong. While both drinks are made from the same sweeteners, they are made using a different blend of flavours and so do not share the same flavour base. On the one hand, Coca-Cola has been designed to taste more like Coca‑Cola, and on the other, Diet Coke has been crafted to have its own distinctive, lighter taste. There's something you can tell the next person who tries to suggest they taste the same.
2. Diet Coke is the best-selling diet soda of all time
For younger fizzy drink lovers, it might be hard to remember a time when Diet Coke was not the behemoth it is now. But the same might be true for many older fans, as the drink has enjoyed great success ever since it was first unveiled back in 1982, before quickly going on to become the best-selling diet soda of all time.
3. Coca-Cola has released a dozen different types of Diet Coke
Even if you have tried one bottle of Diet Coke, you have certainly have not tried them all. Over the years, Coca-Cola has released numerous iterations of the popular drink. Previous flavours include Diet Cherry Coke, Diet Vanilla Coke, Diet Coke with Citrus Zest and Diet Coke with Lime.
4. Diet Coke does not float
If you've ever had the misfortune of dropping a can of Coke into water, you'll know the drink sinks. While you might expect Diet Coke would do the same, it actually floats - unlike its denser counterpart.
5. Diet Coke underwent hundreds of tests before it went to market
Keen to ensure Diet Coke met the brand's standards, the drink went through almost 450 tests before finally making it onto supermarket shelves.
6. Diet drinks are more acidic than you might think
You might be surprised to learn diet drinks have a pH level of 3.2, much below water which has a pH of 7.
7. Diet soda could be the cause of breakouts
Due to its high acidity levels, experts have previously warned that drinking an excess amount of diet soda could be detrimental to your skin as it can unbalance your pH levels.
"No definitive link has been proven between excessive soda consumption and an increased risk of facial blemishes. However, the rumour may have some substance behind it," according the Stryx.
8. Diet Coke can have an impact on your body in under an hour
Qualified pharmacist Niraj Naik has previously warned tooth enamel can be attacked within just ten minutes of drinking Diet Coke. But that is not all. After 20 minutes, the drinker's body switches to "fat storage mode", he claims, after 40 minutes, you may experience a short-term high, and after one hour has passed, you might end up more hungry and thirsty then you were previously.
9. Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sucrose
Aspartame - one of the sweeteners used in the sugar-free drink - is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose. As such, only a very small amount is used.
10. Diet Coke was the brand's first sugar-free cola
Diet Coke paved the way as the brand's first sugar-free cola, with its release decades before Coca‑Cola Zero, which was launched in 2006, and then replaced by Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar in 2016.
Do you have a story to share? We pay for stories. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk
