When it comes to soda, Mountain Dew is probably the least classy kind you can drink. Its light green coloring makes it look like some kind of radioactive material. It has tons of caffeine and sugar. Its biggest fans are youngsters. All of this is the opposite of sophistication.
However, Mountain Dew is about to change all of that, and the soft drink company might just turn things around.
Mountain Dew is reportedly releasing a new line called DEWshine, according to Brand Eating. DEWshine has vintage packaging that makes the soda look like a million bucks compared to its usual green and red packaging that looks like something out of a 1980s music video.
DEWshine, which is a clear beverage made with real sugar, is expected to hit shelves March 23. The new drink was "inspired by the brand's roots in the backwoods of Tennessee," Mountain Dew spokeswoman Jennifer Ryan told USA Today. One bottle of DEWshine will sell for between $1 and $1.49, and a four-pack will cost $3.99.
Believe it or not, using real cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup in soft drinks is a recent trend among soda companies, including both Coca-Cola and Pepsi, to make their drinks healthier by having fewer chemicals in their ingredients. Mountain Dew has even already done this with the release of "Throwback" versions of the soda made with real sugar.
However, not everyone thinks DEWshine is a good thing. Some critics are saying that the long-neck bottles make the new drink look too much like craft beer, USA Today reports. Brand Eating points out that the name "DEWshine" also sounds a lot like "moonshine." "Mountain Dew" is also slang for moonshine.
But still, evoking this feeling of craft beer, not for the alcoholic content since DEWshine is non-alcoholic but for its quality, is kind of the point of this new initiative. Craft and artisanal food and drinks are very big right now, especially among Millennials. Maybe a new bottle is all Mountain Dew needs to become the prettiest soda in the room again.
Photo: Lemsipmatt | Flickr
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