Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew

Type	Citrus soft drink
Manufacturer	PepsiCo
Country of origin	United States
Introduced	1940 (1940)
Variants	See below
Related products	Mello Yello Sun Drop Surge
Website	mountaindew.com

Mountain Dew (sometimes stylized as Mtn Dew) is a carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. A revised formula was created by Bill Bridgforth^[1] in 1958. The rights to this formula were obtained by the Tip Corporation of Marion, Virginia.^[2] William H. "Bill" Jones of the Tip corporation further refined the formula, launching that version of Mountain Dew in 1961.^[3] In August 1964, the Mountain Dew brand and production rights were acquired from Tip by the Pepsi-Cola company, at which point distribution expanded more widely across the United States and Canada.^[4]

Between the 1940s and 1980s, there was just one variety of Mountain Dew, which was citrus-flavored and caffeinated in most markets. Diet Mountain Dew was introduced in 1988,^[5] followed by Mountain Dew Red, which was introduced and subsequently discontinued in 1988.^[6] In 2001, a cherry flavor called Code Red debuted. This product line extension trend has continued, with expansion into specialty, limited time production, region-specific, and retailer-specific (Taco Bell, 7-Eleven) variations of Mountain Dew.

Production was first extended to the UK in 1996, but was phased out in 1998. A similarly named but very different-tasting product has been sold in the UK under the name "Mountain Dew Energy" since 2010 and in Ireland since the spring of 2011. The product was renamed in 2014 to simply 'Mountain Dew'.^[7] As of 2009, Mountain Dew represented a 6.7 percent share of the overall carbonated soft drinks market in the United States.^[8] Its competition includes The Coca-Cola Company's Mello Yello and Surge, and Dr Pepper Snapple Group's Sun Drop; Mountain Dew accounts for 80 percent of citrus soft drinks sold within the United States.^[9]

Origin

Tennessee bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman developed Mountain Dew as a mixer in the 1940s.^[10] Soft drinks were sold regionally in the 1930s, and the Hartmans had difficulty in Knoxville obtaining their preferred soda to mix with liquor, preferably whiskey, so the two men developed their own.^[11] Originally a nineteenth-century generic term for whiskey, especially Highland Scotch whiskey,^[12] the Mountain Dew name was trademarked for the soft drink in 1948.^[10]

Charles Gordon, who had partnered with William Swartz to bottle and promote Dr. Enuf, was introduced to Mountain Dew when he met the Hartman brothers on a train and they offered him a sample. Gordon and the Hartman brothers subsequently made a deal to bottle Mountain Dew by the Tri-Cities Beverage Corporation in Johnson City, Tennessee.^[11][13]

The Hartman brothers also asked Coca-Cola for input on their soda; the Coca-Cola Company refused their offer.

The Tip Corporation of Marion, Virginia bought the rights to Mountain Dew, revising the flavor and launching it in 1961.^[3] In 1964, Pepsico purchased the Tip Corporation and thus acquired the rights to Mountain Dew.^[14] In 1999, the Virginia legislature recognized Bill Jones and the Town of Marion for their role in the history of Mountain Dew.^[15]

Packaging

1950s Mountain Dew advertisement sign in Tonto, Arizona showing the cartoon character "Willy the Hillbilly".

"Mountain Dew" was originally Southern and/or Scots/Irish slang for moonshine (i.e., homemade whiskey). Using it as the name for the soda was originally suggested by Carl E. Retzke at an Owens-Illinois Inc. meeting in Toledo, Ohio,^[16] and was first trademarked by Ally and Barney Hartman in the 1940s. Early bottles and signage carried the reference forward by showing a cartoon-stylized hillbilly. The first sketches of the original Mountain Dew bottle labels were devised in 1948 by John Brichetto, and the representation on product packaging has changed at multiple points in the history of the beverage.^[6]

Logo

Two sides of an early Mountain Dew bottle using the "Hillbilly" design.

The Mountain Dew logo that was used from 1973 to 1996. It was used on Mountain Dew Throwback when it was introduced in 2009 and was later used on special glass bottles of the drink.

The fourth Mountain Dew logo used from 1999 to 2005.

PepsiCo (then The Pepsi-Cola Company) acquired the Mountain Dew brand in 1964, and shortly thereafter in 1969 the logo was modified as the company sought to shift its focus to a "younger, outdoorsy" generation. This direction continued as the logo remained the same through the 1970s, 1980s, and then was retired in 1996 when another logo took its place for the next three years. Later updates to the logo were made in 1998 and then again in 2005.^[6] In October 2008, the Mountain Dew logo was redesigned to "Mtn Dew" within the U.S. market, as a result of PepsiCo announcing that it would rebrand its core carbonated soft-drink products by early 2009.^[17][18] However, the variant flavors continued to use the previous design until May 2011, when it was announced that the "Code Red", "LiveWire", "Voltage", and "Baja Blast" flavor variants would be given redesigned packaging, including new logos to correspond with the "Mtn Dew" style. The returning flavors "Pitch Black", "Supernova", "Typhoon", and "Game Fuel" were given redesigned packaging and logos for their 2011 re-release.

Sidekick bottles

Beginning in summer 2010, a secondary type of Mountain Dew bottles began appearing on some U.S. shelves.^[19] Designed by 4sight, a design and innovation firm, these bottles featured a sleeker design, smaller packaging labels, and a built-in grip. The bottles were dubbed "Sidekick bottles" and were tested in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Indiana markets.^[20]

Ingredients

In its primary market of the United States, the ingredient composition of Mountain Dew is listed as: "carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup (in much of the U.S.), concentrated orange juice, citric acid, natural flavors, sodium benzoate, caffeine, sodium citrate, erythorbic acid, gum arabic, calcium disodium, brominated vegetable oil, and yellow 5."^[21] The ingredient makeup of Mountain Dew varies based on the country of production. For example, in Canada, the sweetener listed is "glucose-fructose"^[22] (another name for high-fructose corn syrup), and (until 2012), it was caffeine-free by default.^[23] Brominated vegetable oil, which is found in about 10% of all citrus-flavored soda drinks in the US, is banned in foods throughout Europe and in Japan.^[24]

In response to negative publicity around high-fructose corn syrup, PepsiCo in 2009 released a limited-run production of Mountain Dew Throwback, a variation consisting of sugar in place of high-fructose corn syrup.^[25] Mountain Dew Throwback subsequently was re-released for brief periods (generally 8–12 weeks at a time), including a second wave from December 2009 to February 2010 and a third wave in the summer and fall of 2010.^[26][27] A fourth 8-week production run began in March 2011, before it became a permanent addition to the Mountain Dew flavor line-up.^[28]

A 12 US fl oz (355 ml) can of Mountain Dew contains 54 mg of caffeine (equivalent to 152 mg/L).^[29]

Tartrazine

An urban legend about Mountain Dew ingredients is that dye Yellow #5 (tartrazine) lowers sperm count.^[30] Tartrazine has never been scientifically linked to any of the alleged effects in the legends; nor has any other component of the drink. While some studies have shown that among children (with and without ADHD) tartrazine can increase ADHD-like symptoms (see Stevens, Kuczek, Burgess, Hurt & Arnold, 2010),^[31] the general consensus is that it does not.^[32] However, it can cause allergic-type sensitivity reactions (e.g. hives and asthma) in a small number of individuals, especially those who also have a sensitivity to aspirin.^[32][33]

Promotions

Amp Energy

Amp Energy is an energy drink distributed by PepsiCo under the Mountain Dew brand. Launched in 2001, Amp was originally known as "Mountain Dew AMP." From 2007 to 2008, several additional flavors of Amp were introduced. In 2012, AMP's labeling and ingredients changed, as did the flavor and appeal, according to fans. The Mountain Dew branding was also removed from the cans during this change.

Taco Bell's Mountain Dew Baja Blast

Leading up to 2004, Pepsico conducted extensive research to develop a beverage with a taste and color to complement Taco Bell food products.^[34] The resulting product was named Mountain Dew Baja Blast, a light blue-green colored, tropical-lime-flavored variety of the popular soft drink. Taco Bell was given a ten-year exclusive rights period during which Baja Blast would not be available in any store or other food outlet, not even to Taco Bell's fellow Yum brand restaurants.

In spring 2014, Mountain Dew began distributing its Baja Blast flavor in standard 12 ounce cans, 20 ounce bottles and 24 ounce cans for sale at supermarkets and retail businesses in the US. The new retail product bore the Taco Bell logo. Taco Bell's chief marketing officer, Chris Brandt, said the exclusive drinks have helped increase the company's beverage sales, even as soda sales have declined in the broader market. He noted that people are more likely to buy drinks when they're available exclusively at the chain.^[35] Due to the drink's success, many other new beverages were introduced at Taco Bell including a new Taco Bell exclusive, Mountain Dew Sangrita Blast, a non-alcoholic sangria flavored Mountain Dew.^[36]

DEWmocracy 1

Dewmocracy 1: People's Dew (2008) flavor finalists: Revolution, Voltage, and Supernova

Beginning in 2007, Mountain Dew began a promotion entitled "DEWmocracy",^[37] which involved the public electing new flavors, colors, names, packaging graphics and advertisements for upcoming Mountain Dew products.^[38] The campaign has been the subject of recognition within the advertising industry,^[39] cited as one of the earliest and longest-running examples of a consumer product brand employing crowdsourcing to make decisions which are traditionally made internally by employees.^[40] In its initial phase, Dewmocracy participation and voting was conducted via an online game.^[41] Television advertisements at the time featured actor Forest Whitaker asking people to decide the next new flavor of Mountain Dew. Online voters selected from three choices: Supernova (a strawberry-melon flavor), Revolution (a berry flavor), and Voltage (a raspberry-citrus flavor). Each included ginseng. The event ended on August 17, 2008, with Voltage announced as the winning flavor. It was officially released on December 29, 2008.^[42] According to Beverage Digest, sales of Dewmocracy flavors totaled 25 million cases in 2008.^[43]

DEWmocracy 2

Dewmocracy 2: Collective Intelligence (2010) flavor finalists: White Out, Distortion, and Typhoon

Mountain Dew announced a continuation of the Dewmocracy campaign –referred to as "Dewmocracy 2"^[44] – which launched in July 2009. A marked difference between Dewmocracy 2 and its predecessor was the wider range of online voting methods, expanding beyond the Dewmocracy website to include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,^[45] and the "Dew Labs Community" – a private, online forum for the "most passionate Dew fans."^[46] In July 2009, Dew Labs sampling trucks distributed product samples of seven potential flavor variations. At the same time, 50 "Dew fanatics" were chosen based on their video submissions to the video website 12seconds.tv, and were shipped boxes of the seven prototype flavors.^[40] From the initial seven flavors, taste testers were asked to elect three final flavors for later release at retail stores. The three new candidate flavors were Distortion (a key lime flavor), Typhoon (a tropical punch flavor), and White Out (a smooth-citrus flavor). The three new candidate flavors were released on 19 April 2010 and voting lasted until 14 June. The following day, White Out was announced as the winner. Mountain Dew White Out was released for sale on 4 October 2010. A limited production White Out Slurpee (Mtn Dew White Out Freeze) was made available at 7-Eleven beginning in January 2011. In July 2011, Mountain Dew Typhoon was re-released briefly in 2-liter form.

Game Fuel

In 2007, after using the term "Game Fuel" to market their sodas to the video-gaming subculture, Mountain Dew introduced a new flavor variant with that name. Coinciding with the release of the Xbox 360 game Halo 3, Mountain Dew Game Fuel sported a label that was almost entirely image-based, showing promotional artwork for the game and featuring the game series' main character Master Chief prominently. This variant remained on shelves for 12 weeks, and was discontinued afterwards.^[47]

Two years later, the website for the popular MMORPG World of Warcraft stated that two Mountain Dew Game Fuel flavors would be sold in June 2009 and would promote the game.^[48] Shortly afterwards, the bottle art was released, and showed that the two flavors would promote different player races in the game. One of the two was exactly the same drink from the original Halo 3 promotion, with updated packaging.^[49] The second flavor was a new wild fruit drink similar to the previously released Pepsi Blue.^[50] Both drinks were given World of Warcraft-based packaging, and sported the newly updated "MTN Dew" logo. Like their precursor, these two flavors lasted for 12 weeks and were discontinued.

On 24 August 2011, Mountain Dew announced another return of the Game Fuel promotion on their Facebook page. The original citrus-cherry would once again return,^[51] along with a new tropical companion flavor.^[52] The announcement gave a planned release date of October 2011 and stated that the packaging would feature codes granting players double experience points in Call of Duty's Modern Warfare 3. Both flavors were mailed out to Dew Labs members in early September 2011, a month before the planned release date. Later that same month, it was announced through the Facebook page that Game Fuel would be arriving to the public in mid-October, though it would vary by market. These flavors began appearing from the first week of October, and were also discontinued after 12 weeks of being on shelves.

Game Fuel returned in October 2012 to promote Halo 4, in the original citrus-cherry flavor. In August 2013, Mountain Dew announced that Game Fuel would be returning to stores in the fall of 2013, with a new blueberry version titled "Electrifying Berry".^[53] In October 2013, boxes of original citrus-cherry Game Fuel appeared on store shelves with packaging promoting Xbox One and the games Dead Rising 3 and Forza Motorsport 5 and with cans featuring Dead Rising 3 graphics. The new Electrifying Berry flavor of Game Fuel simultaneously appeared with packaging promoting Kinect Sports Rivals and the game Ryse: Son of Rome, graphics from which appear on the cans as well. In May 2014, the original, citrus-cherry Game Fuel began appearing on shelves once again, but this time, the soda does not seem to be promoting any video game.^[54]

In October 2014, Game Fuel returned with citrus cherry along with a new lemonade flavor for the promotion of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.^[55] Unlike past two-variant Game Fuel releases, both drinks sport the same artwork (unlike 2009's Horde Red and Alliance Blue or 2011's citrus cherry and tropical), albeit differing colors to match their respective flavors.

In October 2015, Game Fuel returned once again with Citrus Cherry and Berry Lime for the promotion of Call of Duty: Black Ops III.

Images leaked in May 2016 led to speculation that Game Fuel would once again see a new release later in 2016, with a new mango-flavored variant alongside the original citrus-cherry, promoting the game Titanfall 2.^[56] Mountain Dew announced the return of Game Fuel and the new flavor, Mango Heat, in September. Then, in October, Game Fuel was released with the Titanfall 2 promotion, with a lower calorie version of the original citrus-cherry variant returning alongside the new Mango Heat.^[57]

Green Label

A limited edition bottle featuring Green Label art

Green Label is an online magazine, a partnership between Mountain Dew and Complex Media producing sponsored content covering action sports, music, art and style, housed at Green-Label.com.^[58] The site replaces several websites and a YouTube channel that have been overseen by PepsiCo since 2007. The initiative originated in 2013 and will continue through the year.^[59]

Green Label Art

Mountain Dew's Green Label promotion originated in 2007, when a line of limited edition aluminum bottles was put into production, featuring artwork from a range of tattoo artists and other artists.^[60] This initial series marked the first use of the term Green Label Art to describe the use of artistic works on Mountain Dew packaging.^[61] In June 2010, a contest entitled "Green Label Art: Shop Series" was announced,^[62] involving 35 independent skateboard store owners who partnered with local artists to design and submit future can artwork designs.^[63] Approximately one million votes were submitted by the conclusion of the contest in October of the same year, with Street Science Skate Shop – a store in Tracy, California – named the winner of a cash prize. This winning can design was scheduled to appear on Mountain Dew cans at some point in 2011.^[64]

Green Label Sound

In 2008, a Mountain Dew-sponsored music label was launched under the name Green Label Sound. In December 2010, a Mountain Dew Code Red television advertisement was produced, incorporating the hip-hop artist Jay Electronica performing his song The Announcement.^[65] The advertisement concludes with the tagline "Hip Hop is different on the mountain".^[66]

The label released its first full-length album release, When Fish Ride Bicycles by the hip hop group The Cool Kids, on June 12, 2011.

Dew Tour/Green Label experience

2007 Dew Tour BMX in Salt Lake City, Utah

Sponsorship of action sports athletes has been a part of Mountain Dew marketing since the late 1990s, with present sponsorship including Eli Reed (skateboarder), Paul Rodriguez (skateboarder), and Danny Davis (snowboarder).^[67] Mountain Dew also sponsors its own namesake festival, "The Dew Tour", which is an action sports tour made up of events held in five U.S. cities over several months.^[68] The first Dew Tour was held in the summer of 2005 with events in skateboarding, BMX and Freestyle Motocross. In 2008 it expanded to add a "Winter Dew Tour", comprising snowboarding and snow skiing competitions. It is "the most watched and attended action sports event in the world," according to Transworld Snowboarding magazine.^[69][70] In coordination with its Dew Tour sponsorship, a sponsored television show entitled Mountain Dew's Green Label Experience premiered on Fuel TV in July 2010, for the primary purpose of broadcasting interviews with action sports athletes from each of the stops on the Dew Tour.^[71]

Green Label Gaming

Under the term Green Label Gaming – coined in 2007 – Mountain Dew has broadened its sponsorship of independent video game designers and players. The brand is often the subject of media attention for its popularity among video game enthusiasts, as several flavors of Mountain Dew have been produced in partnership with video games. In December 2008, Mountain Dew produced a 30-minute television special which documented independent gamers in Japan and the U.S., which aired on the Spike TV network.^[72] In 2009, Mountain Dew sponsored two prominent gaming events: the Independent Games Festival and the Game Developers Conference.^[73][74][75] Green Label Gaming has since come under controversy over a sponsored Game Jam-themed reality show by Matti Leshem.

Doritos Quest

In 2008, Doritos debuted a mystery flavor known as "Quest", featuring a campaign of online puzzles and prizes to identify the Quest flavor. The flavor was later identified as Mountain Dew.^[76]

FanDEWmonium

In October 2010, Mountain Dew started the "FanDEWmonium" promotion, a competition in which new flavors would compete to become permanent similar to the two DEWmocracy campaigns, but with eight diet flavors instead of three regular ones.^[77] Five of the participating flavors were diet versions of previous DEWmocracy flavors: Diet Super Nova, Diet Voltage, Diet Distortion, Diet Typhoon, and Diet White Out. Another flavor, Diet Ultra Violet, was returning from its own limited release in 2009. The two remaining competitors were brand-new Diet flavors created specifically for the promotion – Crave (green apple-flavored), and Flare (berry-citrus-flavored). Each of the eight flavors was available for tasting at specific tour locations, and special cans were also mailed to some Dew Labs members.

Also similar to the DEWmocracy campaign, those who taste-tested the Diet flavors were asked to go online and vote for which flavors they thought should be permanently sold in stores. After the first round of voting was completed, two flavor finalists were chosen to receive a limited release to store shelves for a final round of voting. Diet Voltage and Diet Super Nova were sold in stores for an eight-week period beginning in March 2011. After votes were cast, it was announced that Diet Super Nova had won, with 55% of all votes, and it returned in January 2012 for another 12-week limited release. Afterwards, it was removed from shelves permanently due to poor sales.

Back by Popular DEWmand

On 7 January 2011, Mountain Dew posted on their Facebook that Pitch Black would return to the shelves on May 2011, also stating that this may be the start of many re-releases of old favorites.^[78] The company promoted Pitch Black's return heavily with giveaways and contests. About a month before the planned release date, a photo was posted on a Mountain Dew worker's Pongr, which showed Pitch Black and 2008's Supernova. Two weeks before the release, Dew Labs announced the return of 2010's Typhoon in 2-Liter bottles exclusively at Walmart Supercenters. The three flavors were re-released to stores on May 2.

At the same time of the DEWmand Promotion, Mountain Dew launched the Throwback Shack, a website where participators could enter to win exclusive Dew merchandise, including a "secret stash" of Mountain Dew Revolution, a losing competitor from 2008's DEWmocracy. The promotional advertisements were then taken down from the Mountain Dew website. Mountain Dew later stated via tweet that there would not be any more flavors returning 'by Popular DEWmand' for now, as it was only intended to be a summer program.

The Dark Knight Rises partnership

After much speculation over a leaked Instagram photo of a potential new flavor, it was officially announced that Mountain Dew was teaming up with Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' film The Dark Knight Rises and released a limited-edition flavor on 18 June 2012. A website — DEWGothamCity.com — was launched, on which fans were able to enter codes to access exclusive content and details on the movie before its 20 July release date. Some Mountain Dew products temporarily featured packaging to promote the movie, including thermochromic 16 oz. cans that change color when cooled. The limited-edition flavor, Dark Berry, was mixed berry-flavored, and was available for 8 weeks.

The Dark Knight Rises promotion inspired a permanent 24 oz. version of Mountain Dew.^[79]

Dub the Dew

In August 2012, Villa Enterprises held a promotion known as Dub the Dew, where users were asked to submit and vote on name ideas for a green apple flavor of Mountain Dew. The promotion was infamously hijacked by users, particularly those originating from the imageboard 4chan, who submitted and upvoted entries such as "Diabeetus", "Fapple", "Bill Cosby Sweat", "Jimmie Rustle's Jumpin' Juice", numerous variations of "Gushing Granny", and "Hitler did nothing wrong." Although the promotion was not directly connected to Mountain Dew, a representative from the company did offer to "help clean up" the site. Adweek compared the incident to another recent campaign hijacked under similar circumstances, where musician Pitbull was sent to perform in Kodiak, Alaska in a Walmart promotion.^[80][81][82]

Puppy Monkey Baby

On February 7, 2016 for Super Bowl 50, Mountain Dew aired a spot featuring a CGI character dubbed "The puppy monkey baby" (also styled PuppyMonkeyBaby). The promotion has garnered a wide amount of media coverage, both positive and negative. According to iSpot.tv, the spot was rated #1 of all the Super Bowl commercials of the night, having generated 2.2 million online views and 300,000 social media interactions after airing.^[83]

The ad features a computer-generated mash-up of three things that the public generally finds to be cute or harmless; a Pug puppy (the head), a monkey (the body and tail), and a dancing baby (the hips and legs). The puppy monkey baby dances with three men who are presumably watching the Super Bowl, offering them Mountain Dew Kickstart, which is similarly described as being a combination of three things (Mountain Dew, juice, and caffeine).

The media response to the advertisement has been mixed to negative. Melissa Cronin of Gawker described it as a "horror-hallucination of brand awareness",^[84] while noting the beverage itself contains brominated vegetable oil, a chemical that is banned in several countries.^[85] Jim Joseph, chief integrated marketing officer at Cohn & Wolfe, called it "weird".^[86]

DEWcision 2016

On April 18, 2016, Mountain Dew announced the return of two popular favorites, Baja Blast and Pitch Black. Fans can vote on which flavor stays permanently on store shelves via the Mountain Dew website. Voting ended on July 9, and, after many delays, Pitch Black was announced the winner on July 18, 2016. Pitch Black will continue to be produced and became part of the brand's lineup starting in September.^[87]

Flavors and varieties

Following the success of Code Red in 2001, over 40 Mountain Dew flavors have been introduced. Original Mountain Dew, Caffeine-Free Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew, Caffeine-Free Diet Mountain Dew, Code Red, Diet Code Red, Live Wire, Voltage, Throwback, White Out, Game Fuel Citrus Cherry, Black Label, Pitch Black, Kickstart (Fruit Punch), Kickstart (Orange Citrus), Kickstart (Black Cherry), Kickstart (Limeade), Kickstart (Midnight Grape), Kickstart (Strawberry Kiwi), Kickstart (Pineapple Orange Mango), Kickstart (Watermelon), Kickstart (Blood Orange), Kickstart (Blueberry Pomegranate), Lemonade Spiked (Non-alcoholic), Baja Blast, Sangrita Blast, and Electric Apple are the currently available drinks on the Mountain Dew lineup (some are region-specific and may not appear in certain areas). This table covers all Mountain Dew flavor variants to date.

Eight flavors of Mountain Dew on display in a grocery store cooler in May 2010, featuring a previous bottle design.

Mountain Dew Soda Flavors

	Dates of production	Notes
Mountain Dew	1940–present	A yellow-green-colored, citrus-flavored soda that was developed in the 1940s by Barney and Ally Hartman, who were beverage bottlers in Tennessee. A revised formula was created by Bill Bridgforth in the year 1958. Flavor changed to use high fructose corn syrup in the 1990s. Old recipe using cane sugar is now Throwback.
Caffeine-Free Mountain Dew	1976–present	Non-caffeinated Mountain Dew. Available in various parts of the United States. In Australia, it was once sold as regular Mountain Dew, but as of June 2012 Australian Mountain Dew is now sold with caffeine in it. Until 2012, the Canadian version of Mountain Dew was caffeine-free, but has been reformulated as Mountain Dew "Citrus Charge" and now contains caffeine.[88]
Diet Mountain Dew	1988–present	A no-calorie Mountain Dew that was first introduced in 1988.[5] It was formerly known as "Sugar-Free Mountain Dew" until 1986, when it was given its current name. In 2006 Diet Mountain Dew was reformulated with a new "Tuned Up Taste", using a blend of sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium as sweeteners. The previous formulation was sweetened exclusively with aspartame.[89]
Mountain Dew Red (Discontinued)	1988	Simply known to be Fruit-flavored Mountain Dew, Red was the first Mountain Dew flavor variation, and was discontinued the same year it was released. Its legacy lives on as Mountain Dew Code Red, but the two are entirely different flavors. It was only available in Alabama.
Diet Mountain Dew Red (Discontinued)	1988	A zero-calorie version of Mountain Dew Red. Like the original version, it was also discontinued in the same year and was also only available in Alabama.
Caffeine-Free Diet Mountain Dew	1989–present	A no-calorie, non-caffeinated Mountain Dew. Available in limited locations in the United States.[90]
Mountain Dew Sport (Discontinued)	1989–91	Following initial test marketing in 1989, this Mountain Dew-flavored sports drink was released in a limited number of U.S. regions in 1990. A 2-calorie variant was released, as well as a Diet version. They were all short-lived, being discontinued in 1991.[91]
Diet Mountain Dew Sport (Discontinued)	1989–91	The zero-calorie version of Mountain Dew Sport. Like the original version, it was also discontinued in 1991.
Mountain Dew Code Red	2001–present (U.S.) 2009–present (New Zealand) 2010–present (Germany) 2013, 2014–present (Canada)	A cherry-flavored Mountain Dew. Introduced in 2001, it was the first widely successful flavor extension; In its first year of production, Code Red increased overall sales of Mountain Dew by 6%.[92] Versions of Code Red were later released in New Zealand in 2009 (with the cherry flavor changed to berry), in Germany in 2010 and in Canada for DEWmocracy Canada in 2013, where it finished in 2nd place. Code Red was released along with the two other losing flavors from DewMocracy 2013, and won the vote, making it a permanent flavor in Canada.
Diet Mountain Dew Code Red	2002–present	A no-calorie, no-sugar cherry-flavored Mountain Dew. Available in limited areas only, it was first introduced in late 2002.[93]
Mountain Dew Live Wire	2003–present (America) 2011–present (New Zealand) 2013–present (Malaysia) 2014–2016 (Philippines post Dewmocracy version)[94] 2014–present (Singapore) 2016–present (Philippines Dewmocracy version)[94]	An orange-colored, orange-flavored Mountain Dew. Live Wire was initially introduced in 2003 as a limited-edition flavor for the summer.[93] In 2005, after two years of limited summer releases, Live Wire became a permanent addition to the product line.[95] It was released in New Zealand in 2011. It was released in Malaysia in 2013 and in both the Philippines and Singapore in 2014. As of 2016 in the Philippines it became a limited edition flavor for the Dewmocracy lineup despite its status as a permanent flavor in the past.[94]
Mountain Dew Pitch Black	2004, 2011, 2016–present (America) 2011–12 (New Zealand) 2013–present (Malaysia) 2014–present (Philippines) 2014–present (Singapore)	A dark purple-colored, grape-flavored Mountain Dew released for the 2004 Halloween season.[96] Pitch Black was re-released twice in 2011 as a part of the "Back by popular DEWmand" promotion[97] and in 2016 as a part of the "DEWcision" contest where it won over Baja Blast and became a permanent addition in the United States. Also available in fountains at Speedway Gas stations as of 2016. It was released in New Zealand from 2011 to 2012. It was released in Malaysia in 2013 and in both the Philippines and Singapore in 2014.
Mountain Dew Pitch Black 2 (Discontinued)	2005	The "sequel" flavor to Pitch Black, released a year later from the original for the 2005 Halloween season. This too was a grape flavor but was different from the original Pitch Black flavor as it was a sour grape flavor. The tagline was "Back with a sour bite."
Mountain Dew Baja Blast (Discontinued in Stores)	2004–present (Springs of 2014, 2015, 2016 in Cans/Bottles U.S.)	A sea green, tropical lime-flavored Mountain Dew introduced in 2004, available exclusively as a fountain drink at Taco Bell restaurants. On May 5, 2014, Baja Blast was made available in stores for a limited time by popular demand. In January 2015, information began leaking on the internet about a second store release of Baja Blast, accompanied by the debut in-store release of Sangrita Blast. On April 19, Baja Blast and Sangrita Blast were made available in stores for a limited time.[98] On April 18, 2016, The flavor was re-released for the "DEWcision" contest for a limited time where it lost to Pitch Black at the end of the contest.
Mountain Dew Game Fuel (Citrus Cherry)	2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014–present	A red-orange-colored, citrus-cherry-flavored Mountain Dew first released in August 2007 for a total of 12 weeks to promote the release of Halo 3, an Xbox 360 game. This flavor has had a limited return to shelves in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 to promote World of Warcraft, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Halo 4, Dead Rising 3, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty: Black Ops III and "Titanfall 2" respectively, each time with redesigned packaging to promote its associated video game. Additionally, it is sold in 16 oz. bottles on Amazon.com. Its taste has been compared to "LiveWire", "Code Red" and the energy drink AMP Overdrive. As of 2017, it has been seen in Arbys restaurant fountains across America. (another drink sold under the Mountain Dew brand name).[99]
Mountain Dew Revolution (Discontinued)	2008	A sky blue-colored, wild berry fruit-flavored Mountain Dew with ginseng.[100] One of the three "candidate flavor" finalists for DEWmocracy's "People's Dew" national vote. Revolution held the highest number of votes until the end of the promotion, when it dropped to 3rd place and lost to Mountain Dew Voltage.[101] In 2011, the "Mountain Dew Throwback Shack" offered a prize of "A Hidden Stash of Dew" which was revealed to be glass bottles of Revolution with lab labels on them. Demand for Revolution has increased since Pitch Black, Typhoon, and Supernova were returning to shelves, but Mountain Dew said that there were currently no plans to rerelease Revolution.
Mountain Dew Supernova	2008, 2011 (America) 2012–present (Finland), 2013 and 2014 (Canada) 2016–present (Denmark)	A magenta-colored, strawberry and melon (raspberry and lemon in Finland and Denmark) flavored Mountain Dew with ginseng.[102] One of the three "candidate flavor" finalists for DEWmocracy's "People's Dew" national vote, it lost to Mountain Dew Voltage. It had held the fewest votes until the end, when it finished in 2nd place.[101] This flavor was re-released as a part of the "Back by popular DEWmand" promotion in early May 2011 and stayed on shelves through July. In 2012 it was released in Finland and is produced under license by Hartwall. In 2013 it was released in Canada for DEWmocracy Canada, where it finished in 4th place.[97] In 2014, it was released again in Canada for Back By Popular DEWmand Canada, along with the two other losing flavors of DEWmocracy 2013 in Canada.
Mountain Dew Voltage	2008–present (America) 2011–present (New Zealand) 2013–present (Canada)	A deep blue-colored, raspberry-citrus-flavored Mountain Dew with ginseng. A part of the first DEWmocracy promotion, it was released in stores on 19 May 2008 as a limited edition flavor so that people could taste test which flavor they like best before voting.[103] Voltage was announced the winner with 42% of all votes on 17 August 2008. It was released as a permanent flavor on 29 December 2008 and was later released in New Zealand in 2011 under the name "Electro Shock" and described as a "charge of wild berry flavour." A Diet Voltage was released in 2011 as a part of the "FanDEWmonium" promotion[77] and made it to the finals with Diet Mountain Dew Supernova, meaning it had a limited release in U.S. stores while voting took place, until Diet Supernova was revealed to be the winner.[104] It came in second in voting, against Diet Mountain Dew Supernova with 45% out of all votes. Mountain Dew Voltage was released in 2013 for DEWmocracy Canada where it got the most votes and Won. becoming a permanent Canadian flavor.
Mountain Dew Game Fuel "Alliance Blue" (World of Warcraft Edition) (Discontinued)	2009	A blue violet-colored, wild fruit punch-flavored Mountain Dew flavor released alongside "Mountain Dew Game Fuel Horde Red" for a 10-week period in 2009. Like Horde Red, Alliance Blue was a promotional flavor for World of Warcraft.[105]
Diet Mountain Dew Ultra Violet (Discontinued)	2009, 2011	A lavender-colored, mixed berry-flavored Mountain Dew. It was originally available for three months in 2009; and was the first Mountain Dew flavor available exclusively in Diet. It was released on 3 August 2009 at a first taste party in Brooklyn, New York. This flavor returned for the "FanDEWmonium" promotion, but ultimately lost to Diet Mountain Dew Supernova, coming in sixth place and not making it into the final round. Its flavor is sometimes compared to that of "Revolution" due to their berry-themed flavoring.[106]
Mountain Dew Throwback	2009–present	A variation of Mountain Dew in the U.S. containing natural sugar in place of high fructose corn syrup, first released in a limited production run during the summer of 2009.[25] Mountain Dew Throwback has since been re-released for brief periods (generally 8–12 weeks at a time), including a 2nd wave from December 2009 - February 2010[26] and a 3rd wave in Summer/Fall 2010.[27] A fourth limited production run began in March 2011, lasting for eight weeks, before it became a permanent addition.[28]
Mountain Dew Cherry Fusion (Discontinued)	2009–10	A red-colored, cherry-flavored fountain drink only available at Wienerschnitzel restaurants in the Western United States. It has a stronger cherry flavor in comparison to Code Red.[107][108] Because this flavor was removed from the official Wienerschnitzel online menu, it is presumed to be discontinued.
Mountain Dew Flavor #736 (Discontinued)	2009	A golden colored, Tropical flavored Mountain Dew. One of the seven semifinalist flavors of the second "DEWmocracy: Collective Intelligence" promotion but it lost.
Mountain Dew Flavor #286 (Discontinued)	2009	A yellow colored, Pineapple flavored Mountain Dew. One of the seven semifinalist flavors of the second "DEWmocracy: Collective Intelligence" promotion but it lost.
Mountain Dew Flavor #722 (Discontinued)	2009	A deep green-colored, Apple flavor Mountain Dew. One of the seven semifinalist flavors of the second "DEWmocracy: Collective Intelligence" promotion but it lost.
Mountain Dew Flavor #648 (Discontinued)	2009	A red-orange colored, Watermelon flavor Mountain Dew. One of the seven semifinalist flavors of the second "DEWmocracy: Collective Intelligence" promotion but it lost.
Mountain Dew Distortion (Discontinued)	2010	A deep green-colored, lime-flavored Mountain Dew. Part of the second "DEWmocracy: Collective Intelligence" promotion. It lost to Mountain Dew White Out and came in 3rd place with only 16% of all votes. Due to its similarity in color to the original Mountain Dew, Distortion was packaged in a clear bottle with a black label (as opposed to the green-plastic bottle with a green label used in the original Mountain Dew) in an attempt to avoid confusion.[109] A Diet Distortion was created for the FanDEWmonium promotion, which came in eighth place, not making it to the final round.
Mountain Dew Typhoon (Discontinued)	2010, 2011	A red-orange-colored, strawberry-pineapple flavored Mountain Dew. Part of the second Mountain Dew "DEWmocracy: Collective Intelligence" promotion. It lost to Mountain Dew White Out and came in 2nd place with 40% of all votes. A Diet Typhoon was created for the FanDEWmonium promotion, which came in fifth place, not making it to the final round. It was announced on 15 April 2011 that Typhoon would return in May 2011 as part of the "Back by Popular DEWmand" promotion and it stayed on shelves in 2-Liter bottles exclusively at Walmart Supercenters through July.[110]
Mountain Dew White Out	2010–present (U.S.) 2012–present (Japan) 2013 and 2014 (Canada)	A white-colored, smooth citrus-flavored Mountain Dew. Part of the second Mountain Dew "DEWmocracy: Collective Intelligence" promotion. It was released in stores on 19 April as a limited edition flavor so that people could taste test which flavor they like best before voting. Voting ended on 14 June, and White Out won the campaign with 44% of the votes. It became a permanent flavor and was officially for sale on 4 October 2010 . It later released in Japan in 2012. A Diet White Out was created for the FanDEWmonium promotion, which came in third place, not making it to the final round. It has been available in slurpee form since January 2011. White Out was also released in Canada for Dewmocracy Canada in 2013, but finished in 3rd place.[111] Along with Supernova and Code Red, White Out was released for Back By Popular DEWmand 2014 in Canada.
Diet Mountain Dew Flare (Discontinued)	2011	A deep yellow-colored, berry-citrus-flavored Diet Mountain Dew. Part of "FanDEWmonium" promotion series of flavors but it lost to Diet Mountain Dew Supernova and came in fourth place, not making it into the final round.
Diet Mountain Dew Crave (Discontinued)	2011	A light green-colored, sweet and sour apple-flavored Diet Mountain Dew. Part of "FanDEWmonium" promotion series of flavors but it lost to Diet Mountain Dew Supernova, coming in seventh place and not making it to the final round.
Diet Mountain Dew Supernova (Discontinued)	2011, 2012	A magenta-colored, strawberry-melon-flavored Diet Mountain Dew with a "shot of ginseng" for flavor enhancement. This flavor began as one of the "FanDEWmonium" promotion series of flavors.[77] Diet Supernova was released in U.S. stores alongside Diet Mountain Dew Voltage on 6 March 2011 for eight weeks as a limited edition diet flavor so that people could taste test which flavor they preferred before voting.[104] It won FanDEWmonium with 55% out of all votes, and became a permanent addition to the Diet Mountain Dew flavor line-up.[112][113] It returned for a 12-week limited release in February but was removed from shelves permanently after its 12-week limited release due to poor sales.
Mountain Dew Game Fuel Tropical (Call of Duty: MW3 Edition) (Discontinued)	2011	A dark green-colored, Tropical-flavored Mountain Dew flavor to coincide with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Like its counterpart, its concept was leaked in early August 2011 by means of an eBay auction, was announced on Mountain Dew's Facebook page on 24 August 2011 and was released to U.S. stores on 10 October that year. It stayed on shelves until the end of 2011. It was originally tested by 500 Dew Labs members as a "Mystery" flavor, and was described by many to resemble the taste of "Baja Blast" and "Distortion".
Mountain Dew A.M. (Discontinued)	2012	This flavor was introduced exclusively at select Taco Bell locations as a part of their new breakfast menu. It is simply a mixture of the original Mountain Dew flavor and Tropicana Orange Juice (both Pepsi products), and is greenish-orange in color.
Mountain Dew Dark Berry (Discontinued)	2012 (U.S., Finland and Denmark) 2012–present (Romania)	A limited-edition mixed-berry-flavored Mountain Dew that coincided with the film The Dark Knight Rises. It first gained popularity in late May when a 3-in-one photo of its 12-pack box design leaked on Instagram.[114] On 14 March, Dark Berry was announced by the Mountain Dew Facebook page. Its 8-week release period began on 18 June.
Mountain Dew Electric Apple	2012–present	This flavor was introduced exclusively at Villa Pizza restaurants as part of their "Dub the Dew" promotion. Following a hacker attack on their website, it was simply named "Apple Mountain Dew." In 2014, it was renamed "Mountain Dew Electric Apple" and joined by a companion flavor, Extreme Pomegranate.
Mountain Dew Johnson City Gold (Discontinued)	2012–13	A malt flavored version of Mountain Dew, named after Johnson City, Tennessee, that was test-marketed starting in late August 2012 in the Chicago area, Denver, Colorado, and Charlotte, North Carolina. The beverage featured a malt flavor with a kick of lemon-lime.[115] Mountain Dew promised a return after 2013 after "Dew Fans" voted for names with 6 different kinds of cans for certain regions of the United States, named Liberty Malt, Southern Gold, Rusted Malt, Gold Mountain Malt, Great Plains Gold & Miner's Malt. As of late 2015, there is no word when it will be released to the public.
Mountain Dew Game Fuel Electrifying Berry (Ryse: Son of Rome Edition) (Discontinued)	2013–14	A purple-colored, berry-flavored Mountain Dew to coincide with the release of the video game, Ryse: Son of Rome for the Xbox One.
Mountain Dew Sangrita Blast (Discontinued)	2014–2017 (2015 in Cans/Bottles U.S.)	A dark red, cherry and pomegranate-flavored Mountain Dew introduced in 2014, available exclusively as a fountain drink at Taco Bell restaurants. In January 2015, information began leaking on the internet about a second store release of Baja Blast, accompanied by the debut in-store release of Sangrita Blast. On April 19, Baja Blast and Sangrita Blast appeared on shelves for a limited time run.[36] In 2017, Sangrita Blast was replaced in Taco Bell restaurants with Mountain Dew Spiked Lemonade.
Diet Mountain Dew Baja Blast (Discontinued)	2014–15	A sea green, tropical lime-flavored Diet Mountain Dew introduced in 2014. Once only exclusively available as a fountain drink at Taco Bell restaurants, is now sold in stores due to popular demand. As of March 26, 2015, It is discontinued from Taco Bell locations to make room for Kickstart in the fountain.[36]
Mountain Dew Extreme Pomegranate (Discontinued)	2014–15	This flavor was available exclusively at Villa Pizza restaurants for a short time as a companion flavor to Mountain Dew Electric Apple.
Mountain Dew Game Fuel Lemonade (Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Edition) (Discontinued)	2014–15	A yellow-colored, Lemonade-flavored Mountain Dew introduced on October 6, 2014 to promote Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare.[116]
Mountain Dew Solar Flare	2014–present	A tropical punch-flavored soda. Its color is red-orange. Solar Flare is a new flavor variant that is only available at fountain machines at 7-Eleven locations. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Solar Flare was pulled from many 7-Elevens. This is still available, at least in the Northwest at Seattle area 7-11s, as of 07/04/16 and in Utah 7-Eleven's as of 02/25/17
Mountain Dew Dewshine	2015–present	Dewshine is a citrus flavored soda, and is clear in color. It is made of real sugar, similar to that of Throwback. Similar to another flavor, Johnson City Gold, Dewshine is non-alcoholic, despite the name being a portmanteau of the highly alcoholic beverage "moonshine" and Mountain Dew. At this time, Dewshine is only available in glass bottles. There is no word on any future can, 2-liter, or on-tap fountain releases. Originally Dewshine was only in the 12 oz. bottles made out of glass but has now been but in limited edition Dewshine 25 oz. jugs only on Amazon.com
Mountain Dew Black Label	Pre-released at Colleges and Universities starting September 2015 - Officially released March 2016–present.	Mountain Dew Black Label is an upcoming Mountain Dew flavor variant that will be released in 16 oz. cans in 2015 to coincide with the "Deeper, Darker Dew" promotion. It will be a Crafted Dark Berry-flavored soda, and its color is a reddish magenta.
Mountain Dew Game Fuel Berry Lime (Call of Duty: Black Ops III Edition) (Discontinued)	October 2015–16	Game Fuel (Berry Lime) is dark blue/green in color and, as its name indicates, will be a Berry-Lime-flavored drink. It debuted in October 2015 to promote Call Of Duty: Black Ops III.
Mountain Dew Game Fuel Mango Heat (Titan Fall 2 Edition) (Discontinued)	October 2016-17	Game Fuel (Mango Heat) was a mango flavored drink, with a weak ginger finish and is light orange in color.
Mountain Dew White Label	Pre-released at Colleges and Universities starting January 2017, Officially released March 2017–present.	"Mountain Dew White Label is an upcoming pineapple grapefruit flavored soda. It will most likely be sold in 16 oz cans similar to that of Black Label and is described as "Mysteriously Exotic Dew"".
Mountain Dew Green Label	Pre-released at Colleges and Universities starting January 2017. Officially released March 2017–present.	"Mountain Dew Green Label is an upcoming Mountain Dew flavor. It is due to be released alongside White Label by January 2017. It has a Crafted Apple Kiwi flavor, Its can describes it as a "Curiously Daring Dew". The flavor's tagline is "DEW with crafted green apple kiwi".
Mountain Dew Spiked Raspberry Lemonade	2017–present	Mountain Dew Spiked Raspberry Lemonade is a non-alcoholic "original" raspberry lemonade flavored soda described as being "spiked with thirst quenching prickly pear cactus juice" It claims to have been created with "no artificial sweeteners" and "real fruit juice" Mountain Dew Spiked is currently under two designs. One design features "Spiked" under the Mountain Dew logo while another design features "Extra" under the Mountain Dew logo. It seems as if the "Extra" logo will be used in Canada while "Spiked" for the American version.
Mountain Dew Spiked Lemonade	2017–present	Mountain Dew Spiked Lemonade is a non-alcoholic "original" lemonade flavored soda described as being "spiked with thirst quenching prickly pear cactus juice" It claims to have been created with "no artificial sweeteners" and "real fruit juice" Mountain Dew Spiked is currently under two designs. One design features "Spiked" under the Mountain Dew logo while another design features "Extra" under the Mountain Dew logo. It seems as if the "Extra" logo will be used in Canada while "Spiked" for the American version. In June 2017, Sangrita Blast was replaced in Taco Bell restaurants with Mountain Dew Spiked Lemonade.
Mountain Dew DEW-S-A	2017	Mountain Dew DEW-S-A is a combination of Code Red, White Out and Voltage, with a purple/violet tint, released as a limited edition from May through August 2017. It is advertised as a partnership with Dale Earnhardt Jr.[117]
Mountain Dew Game Fuel Arctic Burst (Middle Earth: Shadow of War Edition) (Upcoming)	August 2017	Game Fuel (Arctic Burst) is one of two new Game Fuels coming out this fall, in 2006 Mountain Dew slurpee flavor Arctic Burst (Blueberry Flavor) was released to promote the release of the film Superman Returns. 11 years later a Game Fuel, this flavor was leaked online. It's companion flavor is Game Fuel (Tropical Smash). It will debut August 2017 to promote Middle Earth: Shadow of War.
Mountain Dew Game Fuel Tropical Smash (Middle Earth: Shadow of War Edition) (Upcoming)	August 2017	Game Fuel (Tropical Smash) is one of two new Game Fuels coming out this fall, this flavor was leaked online. Rumored to be Pineapple flavored, it's companion flavor is Game Fuel (Arctic Burst). It will debut August 2017 to promote Middle Earth: Shadow of War.
Mountain Dew Lemonade & Ginger (Vault Flavor 1)	Unreleased	Lemonade and Ginger was a Mountain Dew flavor that was taste tested on college campuses alongside Dewitos.
Mountain Dew Dewitos (Vault Flavor 2)	Unreleased	In late 2014, Mountain Dew were reported to be testing a Doritos flavored Mountain Dew on US college campuses.[118]

In popular culture

The tune "Good Old Mountain Dew" has been recorded and covered by artists like The Stanley Brothers, Grandpa Jones and Willie Nelson. In its original bluegrass context, "Mountain Dew" refers to moonshine.

After PepsiCo bought the soft drink Mountain Dew in 1964, they commissioned a set of advertisements featuring a "Good Old Mountain Dew"-based jingle and the drink's hillbilly mascot. The last song of the 2003 album It's Pronounced Five Two by Christian rapper KJ-52 titled "Gimme Dat" is a narrative about the singer attending MDA (Mountain Dew Anonymous) and telling about how he is addicted to the soft drink.^[131]

In the musical Be More Chill, green Mountain Dew activates the Squip, a tiny super computer that tells the user what to do in order to help them achieve their goals. Mountain Dew red shuts them off, in the musical it is said that this is the reason for Mountain Dew Red being discontinued.

See also

• Generic citrus sodas
• Surge (soft drink)

References

External links

• Media related to Mountain Dew at Wikimedia Commons
• Mountain Dew nutritional facts and other information via Pepsico
• Official website