Looking for an updated Mountain Dew price guide? Mountain Dew burst into the soft drink scene over 80 years ago as a modest citrus-flavored drink.
Today, it is one of the topmost popular soft drinks boasting an extensive flavor range with ample appraisal to back it up. The key to its success lies in the brand’s efforts to reinvent itself while staying true to its ‘Dew or die’ attitude.
A Brief History of Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew’s legacy harkens back to the 1940s when Tennessee bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman developed the drink as a mixer.
The Hartmans had a hard time finding a soft drink to mix with liquor in their locale, Knoxville, so they decided to make their own.
Mountain Dew was originally a 19th-century slang term for moonshine. Following the soft drink’s inception, the name was trademarked in 1948.
From then onwards, the Hartman brothers pursued bottling companies, one of which was the Coca Company which rejected their offer.
In the 1960s, PepsiCo purchased the rights to Mountain Dew and its history after acquiring their parent company, The Tip Corporation of Marion, and the rest is history.
Branding Evolution
Mountain Dew’s branding has always captured its love for the extreme and has evolved to keep its daring nature alive. It all started with Willy the Hillbilly, a cartoon mascot who appeared on Mountain Dew’s Packaging up until 1969.
The Hillbilly was depicted barefoot in patched trousers and an unbuttoned shirt with a worn black hat, along with a hound dog, a pig, an outhouse, and a jug of moonshine.
Completing the packaging were two slogans, the first being “Ya-hoo, Mountain Dew! It’ll Tickle Yore Innards!” and the second changed to “Get That Barefoot Feeling Drinking Mountain Dew” in 1969.
After doing away with Willy the Hillbilly Mountain Dew reprised its reputation for being a “wild soft drink” with the slogans “Put a Little Ya-hoo in Your Life,” and the short-lived “Hello Sunshine,” to appeal to the hippie generation of the ’70s.
Upon entering the 80s, the brand upped the ante by creating a sense of urgency by depicting the Dew outdoors as cans in motion, either exploding out of bodies of water or positioned among jagged boulders.
Fast forward past a set of controversial advertisements in the 90s to the early 2000s when Mountain Dew set out to appeal to Gamers who were mainly young adults and teens.
It was rebranded as “MTN DEW”, which boasts extreme sensibilities in its own way and has taken the online world by storm since.
AMP Game Fuel
AMP Game Fuel is an energy drink that was launched in 2001 and distributed under the Mountain Dew brand.
Several flavors were introduced between 2007 and 2008, including; Cherry Burst, Berry Burst, Orange Storm, and ZERO Charged Watermelon. An 8.4 fl. oz can contains taurine, B-vitamins, guarana, ginseng, maltodextrin, and 74 mg of caffeine.
Mountain Dew Kickstart
In 2014, Mountain Dew introduced Kickstart as a healthier way to start one’s day. The brand claims that Kickstart isn’t an energy drink, but an enhanced soft drink that can replace coffee, tea, or other breakfast beverages.
A 16 fl. oz can contains 90 mg of caffeine and is worth 80 calories. There are currently 12 kickstart flavors, including a sugar-free alternative; they include Blueberry Pomegranate, Midnight Grape, Watermelon, Raspberry Citrus, and Mango Lime.
Team Dew
It would be quite the piece of work to summarise Mountain Dew’s involvement in competitive sport, having been around for so long it has practically left no stone unturned.
Its love for physical activity culminates in Team Dew, which consists of several professional sportsmen from various leagues and sports, namely the NBA and WNBA, snowboarding, skateboarding, and outdoor sport.
Notable Team Dew members include NBA player Zach LaVine and professional skateboarder Mariah Duran.
Notable Collaborations
From restaurants to video games Mountain Dew has joined forces with brands and communities across the social spectrum. Some of its more notable collaborations are:
Taco Bell Baja Blast
In 2004, PepsiCo had finished conducting research regarding the best beverage to complement Taco Bell’s food products.
The resulting product was named Mountain Dew Baja Blast, which is a tropical lime-flavored and light blue-green colored soft beverage.
The drink was such a success that it has been increasing the franchise’s beverage sales even in the face of a declining market. The Baja Blast is also touted as the best Mountain Dew flavor on the market today.
Green Label Gaming
This initiative falls under Mountain Dew’s Green Label Experience, which features the sponsorship of action sports athletes and events; it was created by Mountain Dew in partnership with Complex Media.
Green Label Gaming was initiated in 2007 as a way for the brand to sponsor independent video game designers. The initiative was also promoted through a brand-sponsored documentary and later through sponsored gaming festivals and conferences.
Mountain Dew Price, Variations & Sizes
Mountain Dew flavors are always changing but there are currently:
- 10 permanent flavors
- 4 Limited Editions
- 6 Fountain exclusive flavors
- 2 Region-specific flavors
- 5 Slurpee flavors
- 7 AMP Game Fuel flavors
- 12 Kickstart flavors
| Type | Size | Average Price |
| Mountain Dew Kickstart | 16 oz can (4 pack) | $5.96 |
| 16 oz can (12 pack) | $15.00 | |
| Diet Mountain Dew | 12 oz cans (18 pack) | $10.99 |
| Mountain Dew ICE | 2L Bottle | $1.25 |
| Mountain Dew Bottle (Most Flavours) | 12 oz can (8 pack) | $4.99 |
Mountain Dew Alternatives/Comparisons
With all of its feats, Mountain Dew seems impossible to compete with, but interestingly, some competing companies have gone out of their way to create products solely to be its challenger.
Mountain Dew vs Mello Yello
Mello Yello was introduced by the Coca-Cola Company on March 12, 1979, with one of its goals being to compete with Mountain Dew. The drink is highly caffeinated with 53 mg per 12 fl. oz can and citrus flavored.
Much like its competitor, Mello Yello has had involvement in action sports such as being featured in the 1990 NASCAR-based film Days of Thunder where Tom Cruise’s character drove a Mello Yello sponsored car to victory.
Having gone through a branding evolution as well, Mello Yello traded in its rounded print for a stylized “MY” emblem in black and yellow.
In terms of flavor variety, Mello Yello has 9 flavors, three of which have been discontinued, they include:
- Mello Yello (Original)
- Mello Yello Zero
- Mello Redd: mixed fruit flavor (discontinued)
- Mello Yello Cherry (Cherry flavored in response to Mountain Dew Code Red)
- Mello Yello Mellon (discontinued)
Regarding cost, Mountain Dew prices are $5 less than Mello Yello on average, this is in part due to less accessibility to the latter.
Mountain vs 7Up
7Up is a lemon-lime-flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. It was created by Charles Leiper Grigg in 1929.
The product was originally named “Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda” and was launched two weeks before the Wall Street Crash of 1929, from which the Great Depression ensued.
Up until 1948, the drink contained lithium citrate, which is a mood-stabilizing drug, until 1948 and it soon became a popular medicinal product. In 1936, the beverage’s name was shortened from “7Up Lithiated Lemon Soda” to just “7Up”.
A popular myth surrounding its name is that 7Up comes from the drink having a pH over 7, making it neutral or basic on the pH scale; however, in truth, the 7Up pH is close to 3.79, making it acidic like similar soft drinks.
Much like Mountain Dew, 7Up is mostly used as a mixer for scotch or whiskey-based beverages or lemon-lime soda cocktails. Aside from being enjoyed cold with ice, 7Up can be used in a variety of recipes, from pork chops to a 7Up no-bake cheesecake.
Regarding the variation in its flavors, 7Up boasts ‘a myriad of flavors’ some of which are attuned regionally. These flavors include:
- 7Up ten which contains 10 calories
- Tropical 7Up which is pineapple-mango flavored
- 7Up retro which uses sugar rather than High Fructose Corn Syrup
- 7Up nimbooz masala soda: a fusion of real lemon juice, soda, and a hint of masala
- 7Up Free Mojito: non-alcoholic with a lemon, lime, and mint flavor
When compared to Mountain Dew prices 7Up is $2 less on average.
How To Drink Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew keeps things fresh by constantly coming up with new ways to enjoy their drinks. While a simple sip of the soft drink can be just as experiential you can take any one of their flavors and enjoy it in a completely new form,
Make one of their recipes https://recipes.mountaindew.com/
Mountain Dew’s bold flavors aren’t only a great complement to food, but they can be used in cooking as well. Their website has a page dedicated to many recipes, each one incorporating one of their delicious flavors.
You can filter out recipes based on the Dew flavor you want to cook with, the meal type; ranging from breakfast, mains to desserts, and the recipe format you prefer to work with, whether that be step-by-step photos, videos, or typed out recipes.
Recipes you can try out include:
- Cranberry Pomegranate Fruit Cake made with the Mountain Dew Merry Mash-Up
- Mountain Dew Pancakes made with an original Mountain Dew syrup
- Sweet Beef with a Mountain Dew Code Red Thai Chilli Pepper Sauce
- Mali-Dew Sunset Cocktail made with Mountain Dew Livewire
How to Store Mountain Dew
You can store Mountain Dew cans or bottles in a cool, dry place. Once opened, store in a refrigerator or you can freeze it to enjoy it as a slushie.
Regarding the expiration dates on the packaging, health and safety experts say that it’s fine to drink Mountain Dew up to 9 months after its expiration date.
Drinking it further than 9 months after the expiration date isn’t harmful, but the flavors won’t taste as good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mountain Dew gluten-free?
Yes. All Mountain Dew and Diet Mountain Dew flavors are sweetened with aspartame and acesulfame K and are considered gluten-free.
Is Mountain Dew vegan?
Yes, for the most part. As mentioned before, Mountain Dew has an extensive variety of flavors, many of which are vegan. There have been three exceptions namely; the Black, Green, and White label, which have been recently discontinued.
Are Mountain Dew Bottles or cans BPA free?
Mountain Dew’s plastic bottles are BPA-free and are made from a plastic called polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET.
Their cans, like a majority of soft drink cans, are lined with BPA merely for the preservation of the quality and taste of the beverage.
Does Mountain Dew contain caffeine?
Yes. Mountain Dew contains more caffeine than most soft drinks, about 54 mg in a 12 fl. oz can. This is less than an average cup of coffee, which would have 140 mg.
Interesting Facts & Myths
The Short Life of Mountain Dew Red
Mountain Dew Red was the first flavor variant on the Mountain Dew line and was described as being red in color and fruit flavor. It was released in 1988 and was discontinued that same year.
However, videos of its advertisement can be found all over the internet. Its memory was revived in a popular musical known as “Be More Chill” which is based on a book and has been made into a play.
In the musical, Mountain Dew Red plays an integral role in disabling a supercomputer chip in a character’s brain while Mountain Dew Green activates it.
DEWmocracy 1 and 2 and the DEW Nation
Mountain Dew certainly has a thing for nation-building, as seen in its two DEWmocracy lines and its highly active DEWnation.
DEWmocracy 1 debuted in 2007 and was the result of publicly elected flavors, colors, names, packaging graphics, and advertisements for the upcoming drinks.
This was one of the earliest and longest-running shows of a brand using crowdsourcing to make decisions that were usually made internally by employees.
Participation in the DEWmocracy was done via an online game and was encouraged by a host of celebrities. The first line featured the flavors; Supernova, Revolution, and Voltage, and the second line featured White Out, Distortion, and Typhoon.
DEW Nation HQ is a free member portal made for the DEW Nation, which comprises people who are passionate about the drink.
DEW Diehards, as they are called, have access to polls, quizzes, and discussion boards where they can vote on future flavors and be rewarded with membership surprises.
Hard MTN DEW
In February 2022, Mountain Dew partnered with the Boston Beer Company to produce a line of alcohol-infused drinks in four flavors, namely Baja Blast, Black Cherry, Original, and Watermelon.
The Rare Mountain Dew from Japan
Mountain Dew Violet is a rare Mountain Dew flavor widely available in Japan. In other parts of the world, you can secure a can of this grape-flavored drink infused with vegetable and elderberry juice at FYE stores or Japanese vending machines.
