Have you had an opportunity to try a Coke Freestyle Drink Machine? I’d seen one last year at Universal, but it was guarded closely by employees, so I didn’t get a good look at it. When a rep asked if I wanted to investigate one up-close, I was excited to oblige. [I was compensated for this visit, but as always, I didn't grant the rep editorial approval. You can read my full disclaimer here.]

I decided to visit the Millenia location of Moe’s, which is one of the first places (as far as I know) to receive a Freestyle. They were clearly excited about their new toy, with everything to window clings to counter mats to wall hangings extolling its virtues.

They’re pretty easy to operate. The opening screen lists the available brands.

Say you wanted to check out the Coke varieties. Click the Coke icon and you’re brought to the wonder that is flavored Cokes. Old faithfuls like Cherry and even Cherry Vanilla, but also new and exciting like Raspberry, Lime and Orange.

I was intrigued by the Orange Coke and decided to give it a try. It was surprisingly tasty, reminding me of the unique flavors offered at Epcot’s Club Cool.

Some brands offer a lot of flavor variety.

Others not as much, I imagine because Raspberry or Lime Dr. Pepper doesn’t entice anyone.

Next time I think I’ll make a foray into the wonderful world of Sprite. I just didn’t have the room this time around.

The takeaway: Freestyle Machines give you the power to choose whatever flavor you want, not limited by only the 6 or 7 that the traditional fountain machines provide. If you’re adventurous, you’ll love it. If you’re not, you’ll still get a kick out of watching other people try out the machine. A Moe’s employee I spoke to said people really seem to enjoy it, and a fellow customer said if she could have one in her house, she’d be the hit of the neighborhood!

• Location: They’re starting to pop up all over Orlando. You can use the locator on the official website or Facebook page, or just pop into Burger King, Five Guys, or new Moe’s.
• Freestyle Etiquette: 1) Only one person can be served at a time. To be courteous to others, keep this in mind and don’t dawdle over your choices if there are people behind you. 2)  With hundreds of flavor options, you may run across one you don’t particularly enjoy. It would be a shame to discover this after you’ve already poured yourself a full cup, so I’d encourage you to try a sip of a new flavor before indulging in a larger volume, to cut down on waste.
• Tip: Make sure you press the screen hard enough that your flavor is indicated by a thick ring, as indicated below, or you’ll end up pouring yourself something unintended (and in my case, initially thinking Orange Coke was a scam, because it tasted exactly like regular Coke, the default flavor of that screen).
• Bonus: Like anything else, there’s an app for this.

Have you tried out a Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine? What’s your favorite flavor?

posted by Christine@RandomHangers.com
Tags: coke, disclaimer, flavors, freestyle machine, soda, try new things
Filed under: Hangin' Out At...(places to eat)