A biochemist has finally explained why drinking Coke from a glass bottle tastes much better - and it's all to do with polymers The recipe for Coca Cola is the same whether it's in a metal can or a glass bottle - so why does the latter taste so much better? According to biochemist and founder of Science by Design Sara Risch, it's because of the liquid reacting with polymers in the packaging. Polymers are the molecules inside packaging - themselves built from smaller units strung together - and add properties to the material they are used in.