We Tried Flamin’ Hot Mtn Dew So You Don’t Have To

At this point, Flamin’ Hot snacks are an American institution. That citric acid-rich, violently red, surprisingly spicy flavor dust has appeared on everything from Cheetos to Smartfood popcorn—and, hell, the Cheetos flavor even has its own dang movie now. Beverages, though, are a relatively new Flamin’ Hot frontier and, perhaps predictably, Mtn Dew is leading the charge. Last year, everyone’s favorite brand of neon yellow citrus soda released a bright orange Flamin’ Hot version. We had a lot of questions. For instance, is spicy soda still refreshing? Is this a thing to casually drink or just something a mean older sibling dares you to guzzle so they can hear you wail with agony in the bathroom the next morning? We tasted it to find out.

Is Flamin’ Hot Mtn Dew actually good?

I don’t know if I’d call Flamin’ Hot Mtn Dew good, per se. That citric acid tang you know and (probably) love in Flamin’ Hot flavor dust just sort of melds with the inscrutable citrus flavor of Mtn Dew. Both have tang and this soda has tang, too. It’s also genuinely spicy. Do you suffer from chronic heartburn? This probably isn’t the soda for you! Do you have an esophagus made of steel? Then, knock yourself out! Buy a two liter and guzzle it. Just be careful when you sip—the spicy carbonation has a little bit of a tear gas effect. Personally, I won’t buy this soda again (see above re: heartburn), but I think it probably would taste pretty good with a few al pastor tacos.

We’ve teamed up with Cheddar News to try some of the wildest and most interesting foods out there so you don’t have to. Let us know in the comments what we should try next.

About the Author

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.