From rum and coke to vodka sodas, people have been mixing alcohol and soft drinks together for ages. But over the past few years, companies have finally started to cash in on the phenomenon, introducing their own hard versions of soda to cut out the middle man. Now, a classic soft drink is getting its own boozy upgrade. Read on to find out what major soda brand is releasing an alcoholic version of a beloved beverage.
RELATED: This Is the State That Drinks the Most Alcohol, According to Data.
PepsiCo is creating an alcoholic Mountain Dew.
ShutterstockPepsiCo Inc. is partnering with the Boston Beer Company to make HARD MTN Dew, an alcoholic version of Mountain Dew. According to the beer company's announcement, the new hard seltzer beverage will have an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5 percent.
"We know that adult drinkers' tastes are evolving, and they are looking for new and exciting flavorful beverages. The combination of our experience in brewing and developing the best-tasting hard seltzers and hard teas, and MTN DEW, a one of a kind multi-billion dollar brand, will deliver the excitement and refreshment that drinkers know and love," Dave Burwick, Boston Beer Company's CEO, said in a statement.
There will be three flavors available when the drink is released.
PepsiCoAccording to the beer company, consumers should expect alcoholic Mountain Dew to hit shelves in early 2022. The announcement says that the drink will come in three flavors when it's released, including original, watermelon, and black cherry. All three flavors appear to be sugar-free. Kirk Tanner, the North American CEO for PepsiCo Beverages, said that the drinks will maintain "the bold, citrus flavor fans known and expect" from the popular soft drink.
RELATED: For more food news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Boston Beer is responsible for other popular alcoholic beverages.
ShutterstockBoston Beer Company has already produced a number popular alcoholic beverages. The company is responsible for Sam Adams beer, Twisted Tea hard iced tea, Angry Orchard hard cider, and Truly hard seltzer. The new Mountain Dew beverage will join Truly in Boston Beer's hard seltzer space, which is a form of alcohol that has really taken off in the past few years.
"If you think about the whole seltzer dynamic, and what’s causing it, it’s the convergence of health and wellness and convenience," Nik Modi, an analyst at RBC Capital, told Yahoo Finance. According to Modi, hard seltzer is equally consumed by both men and women, which is not true of many other drinks.
This is not the first major soda brand to branch into the alcohol industry.
ShutterstockPespi's entrance into the world of alcohol follows its rival, the Coca-Cola Company. The latter released a hard seltzer version of Topo Chico in the U.S. at the end of March this year. According to Forbes, the alcoholic Topo Chico was released in four flavors: Tangy Lemon Lime, Exotic Pineapple, Strawberry Guava, and Tropical Mango. Coca-Cola teamed up with Molson Coors to create a boozy version of the popular sparkling mineral water, but this hard seltzer falls just short of the expected alcoholic content of hard Mountain Dew, at 4.7 percent ABV.
RELATED: If You Live in These States, Prepare for an Alcohol Shortage.
