Leena Watts
Mountain Dew is a popular soft drink with a distinct taste and appearance. The original drink is high in calories, with 290 calories per bottle. In response to consumer demand, the manufacturer has released several variations of the drink, including Diet Mountain Dew and Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. While all three versions are supposed to taste the same, there are subtle differences in their formulations, and brand loyalists claim to be able to tell them apart. Some people prefer the taste of the original, while others prefer the diet version or the zero-sugar option.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Calories | Diet Mountain Dew has 5 calories, while the original has 290 calories |
| Caffeine Content | Diet Mountain Dew contains 4.5 mg of caffeine per ounce, compared to 4.5 mg per ounce in the original |
| Taste | Some people claim that Diet Mountain Dew tastes similar to the original, while others find it too sweet or chemical-like |
| Colour | Diet Mountain Dew retains the same yellow-green colour as the original |
| Availability | Diet Mountain Dew is available in various countries, sometimes under different names, such as "Mountain Dew Citrus Blast-No Sugar Recipe" in the Netherlands |
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What You'll Learn
Mountain Dew Zero vs Diet Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew is a popular soft drink with a bold citrus flavour. It was first introduced in 1986 and has since spawned a number of variations, including Diet Mountain Dew and Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. All three versions are designed to taste similar, but there are some key differences in terms of ingredients and taste that are worth noting.
Diet Mountain Dew and Mountain Dew Zero Sugar are both zero-calorie versions of the original drink. They use a blend of three artificial sweeteners: sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium. However, one notable difference is that Diet Mountain Dew contains a small amount of concentrated orange juice, while Mountain Dew Zero Sugar does not. This gives Diet Mountain Dew a slightly unusual flavour profile and a longer aftertaste.
In terms of taste, most people seem to prefer Diet Mountain Dew over Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. In several blind taste tests, participants were able to easily distinguish between the two and expressed a preference for the former. Diet Mountain Dew has been described as having a more lingering and delicious flavour, while Mountain Dew Zero Sugar tastes crisper and shorter on the palate, similar to diet 7-Up. However, some people may find the aftertaste of Diet Mountain Dew off-putting, and Mountain Dew Zero Sugar offers a cleaner" taste in comparison.
Mountain Dew Zero Sugar also has a higher caffeine content than Diet Mountain Dew, which may be a factor in the taste difference. It is also noticeably cloudier than the other Mountain Dew varieties, possibly due to the artificial sweeteners used. While some people may find Mountain Dew Zero Sugar too sweet, it does offer a sugar-free option for those who want to enjoy the taste of Mountain Dew without the sugar.
Overall, both Diet Mountain Dew and Mountain Dew Zero Sugar have their pros and cons. Diet Mountain Dew has a more lingering flavour and a longer aftertaste, while Mountain Dew Zero Sugar offers a crisper, cleaner taste with slightly different ingredients. Personal preference will ultimately determine which version is preferred, but it is worth trying both to see which one better satisfies the craving for a bold citrus refreshment.
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Taste test results
The original Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew, and Mountain Dew Zero Sugar are three variations of the same drink. While they are supposed to taste the same, there are subtle differences in their flavour profiles. The original Mountain Dew has 290 calories per bottle, while Diet Mountain Dew has 5 calories, and Mountain Dew Zero Sugar has none. The caffeine content of the original and Diet Mountain Dew is 4.5 mg per ounce, while Mountain Dew Zero Sugar has 5.65 mg per ounce.
A blind taste test was conducted by a travel and photography blog, with 3 regular Diet Mountain Dew drinkers as participants. The drink was poured into cold beer glasses, and the participants sampled multiple sips of each soda between bites of New York-style pizza. All 3 participants easily identified the Diet Mountain Dew and preferred its taste over the Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. They described the Diet Mountain Dew as having a lingering delicious flavour, while the Mountain Dew Zero Sugar had a crisp and short flavour profile, similar to Diet 7-Up.
Another blind taste test was conducted during a Super Bowl party in 2020, with 20 people in attendance, including 3 regular Diet Dew drinkers. All 3 participants in this test also preferred Diet Mountain Dew over Mountain Dew Zero Sugar, with a final tally of 6-0 in favour of Diet Mountain Dew.
Some people have noticed changes in the taste of Diet Mountain Dew over time, with some batches tasting strange or different from the usual flavour. There are speculations that the formula may have been changed, resulting in an odd or sweeter taste. However, others still prefer the taste of Diet Mountain Dew over Mountain Dew Zero Sugar, citing its longer-lasting delicious flavour.
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History of Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew in some countries and colloquially known as Dew in some areas, is a soft drink brand owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in the 1940s by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman and was first marketed in Marion, Virginia; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Johnson City, Tennessee. The name "Mountain Dew" was originally Southern and/or Scots-Irish slang for moonshine (i.e. homemade whiskey or poitín), as referenced in the Irish folk song "The Rare Old Mountain Dew", dating from 1882. Using it as the name for the soda was first suggested by Carl E. Retzke at an Owens-Illinois Inc. meeting in Toledo, Ohio, and was first trademarked by the Hartman brothers in the 1940s. The first sketches of the original Mountain Dew bottle labels were devised in 1948 by John Brichetto.
The rights to Mountain Dew were bought by the Tip Corporation of Marion, Virginia, in 1957, and the formula was revised and launched in 1961. In 1964, PepsiCo (then the Pepsi-Cola Company) purchased the Tip Corporation and thus acquired the rights to Mountain Dew. Shortly after the acquisition, PepsiCo modified the logo and shifted its focus to a "younger, outdoorsy" generation, abandoning the drink's original "hillbilly" theme and image. Between the 1940s and 1980s, there was only one variety of Mountain Dew, which was citrus-flavoured and caffeinated in most markets.
In 1986, Diet Mountain Dew was introduced, followed by Mountain Dew Red in 1988, which was also discontinued in the same year. In 1996, PepsiCo began using a strategy it was already employing with its flagship cola Pepsi, changing Mountain Dew's logo every few years. New logos were introduced in 1996, 1998, and 2005. In 2001, a cherry-flavoured variant called Code Red was released, and expansions of the product line have continued to this day, including specialty offerings, limited-time productions, region-specific, and retailer-specific flavours. In 2010, a secondary type of Mountain Dew bottle began appearing on some US shelves, featuring a sleeker design, smaller packaging labels, and a built-in grip. These bottles were dubbed "sidekick bottles" and, by 2014, had become the predominant Mountain Dew bottle design in most of the United States.
In 2020, PepsiCo released Mountain Dew Zero Sugar, which was compared to Diet Mountain Dew in taste tests. As of 2017, Mountain Dew represented a 6.6% share of the carbonated soft drinks market in the US, and is the leading soft drink brand in several states, including almost the entire Midwestern United States.
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$11.43 $17.95
Mountain Dew in other countries
Mountain Dew is available in several countries outside of the US, including European countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany, France, Poland, and the UK. It was also introduced in the Netherlands in 2013 but was discontinued in 2018 due to poor sales.
However, it is important to note that Mountain Dew contains an ingredient, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), that has been banned in several countries, including Japan, the Netherlands, and the European Union. BVO is an emulsifier that can cause health issues such as headaches, memory loss, and loss of coordination. As a result, some countries have specific regulations regarding food and beverage ingredients, and these regulations vary across countries.
For example, in Canada, the Canada Food Inspection Agency monitors food safety, while the European Food Safety Authority sets standards in European countries. These differing standards and concerns about specific ingredients can lead to variations in the availability of certain products, like Mountain Dew, across different countries.
Despite these differences in regulations and the presence of banned ingredients, Mountain Dew seems to be available in many countries worldwide, although it may not be as popular as it is in the United States.
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Mountain Dew ingredients
Mountain Dew is a soft drink with a variety of ingredients, some of which have been associated with health concerns. The ingredients in Mountain Dew include carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, concentrated orange juice, citric acid, natural flavor, sodium benzoate, caffeine, sodium citrate, gum Arabic, erythorbic acid, calcium disodium EDTA, and Yellow 5.
Carbonated water is the primary ingredient, giving the drink its signature fizz. High-fructose corn syrup is a sweetener that provides a significant amount of sugar, which has been linked to concerns about obesity and tooth decay. Concentrated orange juice contributes to the citrus flavor and also contains natural sugars. Citric acid adds a tart, tangy taste and is often used as a preservative. Natural flavors are added to enhance the overall flavor profile, but the specific compounds that make up this ingredient are not disclosed, which can be concerning for individuals with allergies or dietary restrictions.
Sodium benzoate is a preservative that helps maintain the freshness of the drink. Caffeine is a stimulant that provides the energizing effect associated with Mountain Dew. Sodium citrate is a salt derived from citric acid and is commonly used as a food additive to regulate acidity. Gum Arabic is a stabilizing agent that helps suspend the ingredients evenly throughout the drink. Erythorbic acid is another preservative that prevents spoilage and maintains the product's quality.
Calcium disodium EDTA is included to "protect flavor," but its primary function is to prevent the formation of benzene, a potentially harmful byproduct that can result from the interaction of certain ingredients. Finally, Yellow 5 is a food coloring agent that gives Mountain Dew its characteristic bright color.
While Mountain Dew has a unique and popular flavor, it's important to be aware of the health implications of its ingredients. The high sugar content, artificial sweeteners, and potential allergens are all considerations for consumers. Additionally, the caffeine content in Mountain Dew is relatively high compared to similar soft drinks, which can be a concern for those sensitive to stimulants.
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Frequently asked questions
Diet Mountain Dew is a modified version of the original formula, retaining the same citrus taste and yellow-green colour as the original Mountain Dew drink. However, some people claim that the taste differs from the original, with some claiming it tastes like chemicals or is too sweet.
Diet Mountain Dew was introduced in 1984 and has 5 calories, while Mountain Dew Zero Sugar has no calories. Diet Mountain Dew is also said to have a lingering taste, whereas Mountain Dew Zero has a "'cleaner'" and "crisper" taste.
This is a matter of personal preference, but some people claim that Diet Mountain Dew is better than Mountain Dew Zero, as it tastes more like the original.
Yes, Diet Mountain Dew contains caffeine. The caffeine content is 4.5 mg per ounce, which is higher than that of Coke (2.8 mg per oz).
