I Tried Hard Mountain Dew and Here's What Happened

Mountain Dew (which I've discovered is actually called Mtn Dew, but you cannot get me to call it that) has one of the most dedicated fan bases of any soda today. With new flavors and collabs constantly dropping — I still know people who can't stop talking about Code Red — the Pepsi brand always has something new up its sleeve. The newest? Hard Mountain Dew, a hard seltzer-esque alcoholic beverage made by Dew and the good people at Boston Beer Company. Naturally, I needed to know what these were like, so I grabbed a variety pack and tasted all four flavors. Here's what happened.

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What does the original Mountain Dew taste like, you ask? The soda has always been a mystery to me. It's a citrusy, neon green beast, almost like a Squirt combined with a Mello Yello. It honestly looks like something a cartoon alien would drink. Though it's never been my go-to, I've always enjoyed it. Let's see how the hard stuff compares.

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Despite each can of Hard Mountain Dew ringing in at 5% ABV, I have to tell you: This tastes like the original soda. Maybe a little more artificially sweet, since this is a zero-sugar situation, but it does taste like it. If you’re a big Dew-head, you’ll probably lose your mind for this. They nailed this one pretty well.

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With every surprising sip of this project, I thought about how much better each of these flavors were than I expected. But I guess that’s what the Dew knows how to do. It’s been releasing wackadoo flavors since day one, and every time a new one drops, the fans lose their collective mind. It should be no surprise just how drinkable Watermelon is. Once again, this tastes just like a regular soda. Nice work. Truly.

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Black Cherry is a winner. It manages to avoid the deadly cough syrup trap that so many other black cherry-flavored drinks fall into, and that’s huge. This actually has a surprising amount of soda-forward, non-alcoholic flavor. It reminds me of a Dr. Brown's Black Cherry soda in the best way.

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While I do love Taco Bell, I do not partake in Baja Blast. A tropical flavor originally developed for the Bell, it’s not what I need while getting after a Quesarito. That said, this is a tasty little treat. There’s some limey mango and pineapple flavors going on which actually translate well into an alcoholic drink, almost like a tiki cocktail. The next time I bring Taco Bell home, it’s going to be hard to resist pairing it with one of these.