FACTS AND MYTHS
Light source hoax:
A popular hoax has been demonstrated on video sharing sites that the addition of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to a small amount of Mountain Dew, followed by shaking, results in the production of a greenish light. Mountain Dew when mixed with these chemicals does not create such a light.
Originally made to be mixed with Whiskey:
The inventors originally made Mountain Dew to be mixed with whiskey. In fact, that’s why they gave it the name Mountain Dew.
Slang f
or "Moonshine":
Yes, Mountain Dew was actually slang for "moonshine". Another fun fact is that the original container featured a hillbilly who was holding a jug of whiskey. There was also an outhouse, a pig, and a man running from the hillbilly who had shot at him.
Bought by Pepsi in 1964:
In 1964, Pepsi bought Mountain Dew. Pepsi would then make the drink into a worldwide success. The Pepsi Company would also have fun creating new flavors of Mountain Dew, including Code Red and Pitch Black. Pitch Black was released during the Halloween of 2004.
Mounta
in Dew has Orange Juice in it:
One of the flavors in Mountain Dew is orange juice. This gives the soft drink a tangy, yet smooth flavor. Another fun fact is that in Japan the drink has tangerine juice rather than orange juice.
The Diet Version was released in 1988:
In 1988 a diet version was released. While it was nice to have a soft drink that had no calories, the flavor of the original diet version was horrible. Thankfully the taste has improved over the years and now tastes almost identical to the original version.
The first slogan:
The first slogan for this highly caffeinated beverage was "Ya-Hoo Mountain Dew. It'll tickle your inards". The commercials even featured a cartoon hillbilly. This slogan began in 1965. In 1973, a new slogan began which said, "Put A Little Ya-Hoo in Your Life."
Yellow 5 Myth:
n the late 1990's, a new rumor about Mountain Dew began circulating around. At times, it still rears its head today. Unlike the "caffeine rumor", this rumor specifically targeted the male population. It probably even stopped some younger guys from drinking the popular soft drink. This rumor stated that drinking Moun
tain lowered a man's sperm count. Not only that, but drink Mountain Dew and you'll notice your male appendage growing smaller in size.
The alleged culprit is a chemical known as Yellow 5. It's also known as Tartrazine. Supposedly, Mountain Dew contains a large amount of this dye. That's why it was targeted. The truth of the matter is that this dye has been used since 1916. You can find it in Mountain Dew, soups, candy, jelly, macaroni and cheese box mixes, mustard, Kool-Aid and a host of other prepackaged products. According to the Food and Drug Administration, Yellow 5 is safe for consumers.
However, a little known fact about Mountain Dew Soft Drink is, if your sensitive to Tartrazine, you may have an allergic reaction to it. I think the number is 0.12% of the American population is thought to be sensitive to this chemical. In children particularly, Yellow 5 is attributed to problems with hyperactivity and ADHD.
Health Hazard?:
One of the most popular rumors that's swirled around for years about Mountain Dew Soft Drink is that it contains a high amount of unhealthy caffeine. Long before energy drinks hit the scene, people were grabbin
g a Mountain Dew for a quick "pick-me-up." If you check the ingredients on a can of this soda, you'll see an eight-ounce serving contains 36 milligrams of caffeine. That means a twelve-ounce can contains a whopping 54 milligrams of stimulant.
However, a little known fact about Mountain Soft Drink is, drink an eight-ounce cup of imported, brewed tea, and you'll exceed that amount. It contains about 60 milligrams of caffeine. Iced tea contains around 47 milligrams in an eight-ounce serving; equals 70.5 milligrams for a
twelve-ounce can! Pepsi One contains 55.5 milligrams of caffeine, and even Mellow Yellow has 52.8 milligrams in a can. Maybe at one time Mountain Dew contained a higher amount of caffeine than other soft drinks. Today, however the rumor is completely false when the product is compared to other drinks on the market.