Hey, Mtn Dew is launching a new flavor. I know, you’re like, “What’s the big deal? This happens all the time, right?” Well, actually, no. No, it doesn’t. See, this is a new Hard Mtn Dew flavor. Since the original lineup of Hard Dew flavors—Mountain Dew, Watermelon, Black Cherry, and Baja Blast—hit stores in February 2022, Mtn Dew has been slow to release new flavors. But after what I assume felt like a long wait for Hard Mtn Dew fans, a new flavor has quietly begun arriving on shelves in select states: Mtn Dew Hard LiveWire! Prepare to get buzzed!
Hard Mtn Dew? LiveWire? Elaborate, please.
Hard Mtn Dew is a relative newcomer to the hard soda market. It’s a flavored malt beverage with 5% ABV. There’s no sugar or caffeine whatsoever, which begs the question: Is it still soda? What even is soda anymore? To me, soda is sugary and (if it’s Mtn Dew) caffeinated. Sure, Hard Mtn Dew is still delightfully carbonated, but some people who’ve weighed in on the internet have complained that the artificial sweeteners are overwhelming and that it needs regular sugar. But, hey, if Diet Mtn Dew is your drink of choice (and you always sorta wished it would get you drunk), maybe you’re the target audience for Hard Dew. And if you have yet to see Hard Dew out in the wild, you’re not alone—currently, it’s only carried in ten states (Iowa, Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Virginia, Ohio, and Illinois) and the city of Las Vegas.
Whether you still consider this stuff soda or not, you’ll certainly be delighted by the newest flavor. Late last year, Mtn Dew announced that an alcoholic take on cult-classic flavor Mtn Dew LiveWire was in the works. LiveWire was released as a new Mtn Dew flavor all the way back in 2003. The citrus-flavored Dew was such a massive hit that it reportedly increased Mtn Dew’s sales by 10% in its first year. And it’s certainly stood the test of time—it certainly seems like a hard version will be a hit. (If only they’d see the same potential in Mtn Dew Pitch Black!). So, if you live in the states where Hard Mtn Dew is sold, keep an eye on the shelves. It was spotted about a week ago in Oklahoma and in Ohio, and has slowly been entering other states since.
A shame I’ll probably never be seeing livewire in my state again. It would be pretty absurd if we ended up getting the hard version of it instead of, y’know, actual soda, so at least that’s consistent.