History of Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew was created in the 1940s by brothers Barney and Ally Hartman, who ran a bottling company in Knoxville, Tennessee. They originally developed the lemon-lime drink as a mixer for whiskey, and the name "Mountain Dew" was an old slang term for moonshine. The drink's early branding featured a hillbilly character and a rustic, backwoods image.

In the late 1950s, the Tip Corporation of Marion, Virginia, reformulated Mountain Dew into the citrus-flavoured, highly caffeinated soda that is closer to the version sold today. In 1964, Pepsi-Cola acquired the Tip Corporation and with it the Mountain Dew brand, beginning its national expansion across the United States.

Through the following decades, Mountain Dew moved away from its hillbilly image and began marketing itself to young people and outdoor enthusiasts. Diet Mountain Dew was introduced in 1988, and in the 1990s the "Do the Dew" campaign tied the brand to extreme sports such as skateboarding and snowboarding. Mountain Dew Code Red followed in 2001, and Baja Blast, created exclusively for Taco Bell in 2004, became one of its most popular flavours.

Mountain Dew has also become known for its fan-driven marketing, including the "DEWmocracy" campaigns that let customers vote on new flavours, and partnerships with video game franchises and esports. Today, it is one of PepsiCo's best-selling soft drink brands, particularly in the United States, where it has expanded into energy drinks and zero-sugar varieties.