We Found The Truth About Coca-Cola’s Color: Let’s See

Coca-Cola has been around for a very long time — since 1886, actually! — so it’s no surprise that there are some myths and urban legends surrounding the beverage. One popular thought is that Coca-Cola is actually a green color, not brown. It’s a question many fans of the fizzy drink have wondered about for a while, so let’s put it to rest. Does Coca-Cola get dyed brown because it actually comes out green? We’ve got the answer!

And when I'm done I'm having me some caffeine packed, overly dyed, carbonated beverage by the name of Coca-Cola.

— Pack Rizzle (@packrat220) February 7, 2014

DID U KNOW COCA COLA IS ACTUALLY GREEN BUT IT'S DYED BROWN GOODBYE

— c (@craicdealers) August 11, 2014

oh and coca cola was originally green but they dyed it brown because they thought people would be more likely to buy it if it looked like tea. i, personally, am willing to buy anything that even remotely resembles tea, so they were 10/10 on that one

— alice (@je_suisfarouche) February 11, 2018

did ya know Coca Cola would be green if it wasnt dyed?? Creepy....

— Pook!3_B3@r (@P00k13_b3aR) May 4, 2010

Snopes.com recently took on this question in an attempt to clear things up, and their response was pretty simple: no, Coca-Cola is not actually green. It does not get dyed brown to look different in a bottle. It’s never been green, and the color has actually never been changed. According to Snopes, the original formula for the soda required caramel, which gave an icy glass of Coke that rich brown color. Since the 1800s, the recipe has obviously gone through a lot of changes. Still, none of those changes have affected the color.

So why would people think that this popular soda was ever green?

Snopes points out that it has been contained in green glass bottles in the past, which might have given it a green hue to some. That could be where and why the rumors started.

The rumor is actually popular enough that the brand itself felt the need to say something. In Coca-Cola’s official FAQ section, they respond to the question of if the soda is dyed green by saying, “No. Coca‑Cola has always been the same colour since its invention in 1886.”

@JessJudex Hey Jessica, know something? it's just a myth. It was and continues to be caramel color. 😉   ^GD

— Coca-Cola (@CocaCola) June 9, 2011

@NCabbage No, Mrs RumbiBeau. That's just a myth.  The color is the same: caramel.   ^GD

— Coca-Cola (@CocaCola) June 28, 2012

So there you have it! Coca-Cola always has been, and always will be, the brown color we all know and love. That’s a bit of a relief, to be honest, because wouldn’t it be strange to find out we’ve all been drinking and loving something that is naturally green?

But it’s not the only thing Coca-Cola (supposedly) stopped from being green.