That makes sense, being up in the mountains makes a lot of other things seem flat by comparison.

there's no comparison....

a cold one on the beach is good but if you're hiking up into the mountains and when you get to your campsite and open a lukewarm beer ... that beer is so good

not much can compare

ok so this example only pertains to backpacking but I stand firm on it

Agree. I don't know if it's reality or if my mind is making things up, but carbonated beverages have a lot more of that fizzy feeling when closer to sea level, and that is the entire reason I drink them over other beverages.

I have lived both in the mountains of Appalachia and below sea level in New Orleans.

The higher you go the less air pressure there is to keep the carbonation in the liquid. This definitely affects taste.

canned or fountain? what brands did you try.

the carbonation to me is one of the most important pieces. i cant smell (re:taste) well.

Even slight elevation changes (roughly 10-25 meters imo) fizzes out fatser

Maybe this is my unpopular opinion, but Dr. Pepper out of a can on a plane at cruising altitude (~8000ft elevation equivalent) tastes way better to me than anywhere on the ground. I call it my magic sky juice. Dr. Pepper is really the only soda I enjoy, anyway.

I am unsure if there are any other changes made to the cans of soda they serve on planes, like a different carbonation pressure, etc. that might make a difference instead of just the altitude.

People in the mountains generally don't drink a lot of soda