Alcoholic Mountain Dew On Tap Through New Sam Adams Partnership

PURCHASE, NY — PepsiCo has drafted Sam Adams and one of its own most iconic brands for its latest foray into the adult beverage market.

Samuel Adams parent company, Boston Beer Company and PepsiCo announced plans for a partnership to make a new Hard Mountain Dew alcoholic beverage. Boston Beer will develop and produce the new alcoholic beverages and PepsiCo has set up a new entity to sell, deliver and merchandise the product.

"We know that adult drinkers' tastes are evolving, and they are looking for new and exciting flavorful beverages,” Boston Beer CEO Dave Burwick said. “The combination of our experience in brewing and developing the best-tasting hard seltzers and hard teas, and MTN DEW, a one of kind multi-billion dollar brand, will deliver the excitement and refreshment that drinkers know and love.”

The new flavored malt beverage will have an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5 percent. Hard Mountain Dew will initially be offered in original, black cherry, and watermelon flavors. Company officials said that although the new alcoholic beverage will share a name with its soft drink predecessor, hard MTN Dew be marketed to adults of legal age and merchandised consistently with other alcohol beverages.

"For 80 years MTN DEW has challenged the status quo, bringing bold flavors and unmatched beverage innovation to millions of fans," Pepsi North America CEO Kirk Tanner said. "The Boston Beer Company partnership combines two recognized leaders in our respective industries to address the changing tastes of drinkers.”

Tanner promised that the new hard “Dews” would maintain the signature Mountain Dew taste.

Adventurous consumers in search of a grownup Mountain Dew can expect to find the hard sodas on shelves early next year.