Soda Tasting

Mountain Dew (with Sugar) Review (Soda Tasting #153)

On this episode of Soda Tasting, we’re taking a look at a sugar sweetened version of Mountain Dew produced in the United States. It’s not Mountain Dew Throwback, just an unassuming grass bottle of the popular soda.

The name Mountain Dew comes from the moonshine that was produced in Appalachian stills in Tennessee, according to a Bloomberg report. It was created in the 1940s by brothers Ally and Barney Hartman and early bottles featured a depiction of an armed hillbilly chasing a federal agent from an outhouse.

Pepsi acquired the brand in 1964. Their first TV ad included the slogan, “Ya-Hoo Mountain Dew. It’ll tickle your innards.” They didn’t add any additional flavors until 1988, with Diet Mountain Dew and the short lived Mountain Dew Red.

Please check out my Pepsi blind tasting, which I mentioned in this episode.

Thank you to Derrick Schommer of Common Man Cocktails on YouTube for supporting the show. Also, check out his kids and their mocktails4kids channel.

Have you seen this version of Mountain Dew at your local grocery store? Please let me know in the comments.

Thank you for watching.

Buy Mountain Dew (with Sugar) on Amazon.com! (Affiliate Link)
Mountain Dew (with Sugar)
Soda: Mountain Dew (with Sugar)
Company: PepsiCo
Calories (12 oz.): 170
Caffeine (12 oz.): 54 mg
Sweetener: Sugar

On this episode of Soda Tasting, we’re taking a look at a sugar sweetened version of Mountain Dew produced in the United States. It’s not Mountain Dew Throwback, just an unassuming grass bottle of the popular soda. The name Mountain Dew comes from the moonshine that was produced in Appalachian stills in Tennessee, according to a Bloomberg report. It was created in the 1940s by brothers Ally and Barney Hartman and early bottles featured a depiction of an armed hillbilly […]

On this episode of Soda Tasting, we’re taking a look at a sugar sweetened version of Mountain Dew produced in the United States. It’s not Mountain Dew Throwback, just an unassuming grass bottle of the popular soda.

The name Mountain Dew comes from the moonshine that was produced in Appalachian stills in Tennessee, according to a Bloomberg report. It was created in the 1940s by brothers Ally and Barney Hartman and early bottles featured a depiction of an armed hillbilly chasing a federal agent from an outhouse.

Pepsi acquired the brand in 1964. Their first TV ad included the slogan, “Ya-Hoo Mountain Dew. It’ll tickle your innards.” They didn’t add any additional flavors until 1988, with Diet Mountain Dew and the short lived Mountain Dew Red.

Please check out my Pepsi blind tasting, which I mentioned in this episode.

Thank you to Derrick Schommer of Common Man Cocktails on YouTube for supporting the show. Also, check out his kids and their mocktails4kids channel.

Have you seen this version of Mountain Dew at your local grocery store? Please let me know in the comments.

Thank you for watching.

Date published: 05/10/2013
4 / 5 stars

11 comments on “Mountain Dew (with Sugar) Review (Soda Tasting #153)

  1. I have not seen mountion dew with sugar in the upstate NY area. I have seen mountion dew throwback and Pepsi throwback in Walmart all year long and only in 12pack cans. Great show as always.

  2. They’re selling the sugar-sweetened versions of both Mt. Dew and Pepsi in 4-pack bottles in some grocery stores here in NC.

  3. Found the sugar sweetened Dew in same glass bottle today by accident at Shaw’s in Keene, NH. It was with the iced tea and other natural drinks, not in soda isle. Born in ’62, I grew up with sugar sweetened Dew, and prefer it over HFCS Dew. Of course, I had to Google it to see what’s up, which brought me to your excellent review.

    • Thanks for finding me and for the kind words, Doug! I really appreciate it. Glad that you found some – interesting to hear that you also found it outside of the soda aisle. :)

      Patrick

  4. I just found your reviews and really love what you’re doing. I thought I’d let you know just because you seem to strive for accuracy; that IS in fact Mountain Dew Throwback. To be Specific, that is the Version 1 Retro packaging that was also used for their cans and plastic bottles before they switched to the original hillbilly motif. They omitted the “throwback” title on these and their glass bottle Pepsi throwback to do an almost-completely accurate 1973-1996 (Mt. Dew) and 1973-1987 (Pepsi) retro packaging. Hope you find this interesting!

    • Thanks for the comment, Ben. When it comes to what I share on the program, I am careful and, to that end, I’d really have to see something from PepsiCo to issue a correction in this case. To say that it was Throwback when it is not branded as such would be an assumption on my part. Mountain Dew has used different branding for Throwback. If you can link to a press release from PepsiCo or something official or credible that would speak to what you shared, I would be most grateful and would definitely add a correction right away.

      The Wikipedia page, which lacks appropriate citations, is not a credible source, but also does not specifically mention an absence of the word Throwback at all (though anyone could edit that page and add that, if they wanted), simply the branding changes that I mention below.

      To share what I do know: I am unaware of a mention of PepsiCo marketing Mountain Dew in a glass bottle, without “Throwback” on it, as being Throwback. I am aware that PepsiCo did release Mountain Dew Throwback initially without the hillbilly branding (see: http://sopebocks.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/mountain-dew-throwback/). But, if you notice, the word Throwback is included in the can. To my knowledge, that was the “version 1″ retro packaging that you reference, as further evidenced by this review by The Impulsive Buy when they were brand new: http://www.theimpulsivebuy.com/wordpress/2009/04/21/review-pepsi-throwback-and-mountain-dew-throwback/

      I know Marvo, the author of that article, and would be happy to ask him to confirm.

      Furthermore, when they released the products, BevReview.com did a full FAQ about them and specifically noted that glass bottles were not part of the product lineup, so they were not part of an initial roll out or the initial versions of the product. See: http://www.bevreview.com/2009/02/26/official-facts-about-pepsi-throwback-mountain-dew-throwback/

      All things aside, I mention it just to be totally accurate, not as some major point. I’m sure it’s all the same or similar. I hope to find some branded Throwback to confirm that, as well. :) Thanks for the comment.

      Patrick

  5. Hey Patrick,

    I will admit I used Wikipedia to confirm details like the logo dates, etc. my basic info that they are retro throwback packaging was from working 3rd shift janitorial/landscaping at my local Pick N’ Save. I’ve always liked getting soda in glass bottles since I was a little kid, I even drank most of the glass Atlanta Olympics Commemorative Coca-Cola my cousin was collecting when I was little. That didn’t go over well. But I Digress, when I saw these being delivered I asked if they were a promotional run and the driver basically told me it was throwback in retro packaging to cater to “hipster demand.” I’m fairly certain that reasoning was his own and I’m not sure how likely that is, but I trust that he was correct in the basics.

    Since it’s release Throwback has been in uninterrupted supply here in my area of SE Wisconsin, I’ve always figured it had something to do with the Midwest, along with the South, being the traditional area to gauge the average American’s taste. A “But will it play in Iowa?” type situation. If I’m incorrect in any of this I apologize and I’ll keep looking around for a more official confirmation.

    Keep up the good work, Ben.