american coke is disgusting. in europe (and i'm sure other places), coke isn't made with corn syrup, but with actual sugar. this makes it taste a lot less thick and a lot more like an actual drink.
from wikipedia (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola):
There is also some concern regarding the usage of high fructose corn syrup in the production of Coca-Cola. Since 1985 in the U.S., Coke has been made with high fructose corn syrup, instead of sugar glucose or fructose, to reduce costs. This has come under criticism because of concerns that the corn used to produce corn syrup may come from genetically altered plants.[52] Some nutritionists also caution against consumption of high fructose corn syrup because of possible links to obesity and type-2 diabetes.[53]
the eu also has a lot stricter laws on what people consume, another reason why the recipe is changed. just saying.