The Next Big Idea From Purchase: Flamin' Hot Mountain Dew?

PURCHASE, NY — Years from now, anthropologists studying the golden age of the Flamin' Hot snack era will one day trace a timeline from the early experiments with Flamin' Hot Doritos to the outbreak of Flamin' Hot Nacho-mania at North American Taco Bell to the day in August of 2021 when a historic tipping point was reached.

On Wednesday, Pepsi officials announced Mountain Dew will get the Flamin' Hot treatment. The 81-year-old beverage brand tapped fellow PepsiCo brand, Cheetos, to give Mountain Dew the signature fiery and spicy flavor with a dedicated cult following.

"As a brand, 'Dew' has a rich history of experimenting with new flavors our fans love. We certainly had them in mind when we developed the Flamin' Hot beverage," Pepsi Director of Marketing Matt Nielsten said. "This is one of our most provocative beverages yet, and we're excited for 'Dew Nation' to taste the unique blend of spicy and classic sweet citrus flavor of Mtn Dew."

Starting August 31, 2021, Mountain Dew Flamin' Hot will be available exclusively on the virtual shelves of the "Dew Store," only while supplies last. The target audience of Flamin' Hot Mountain Dew is likely to already be well aware of the Dew Store offerings. For the rest of us, more details can be found via Instagram and Twitter.

To celebrate the extreme new flavor, MTN DEW and contemporary clothing brand, Broken Promises, will release an apparel line inspired by the Flamin' Hot lifestyle. The limited collection will be available via presale exclusively to subscribers on the Broken Promises app on September 3, at 11 p.m. The official launch to the public will be on Broken Promises' website on September 4, at 11 a.m. The collection includes shirts, hoodies, sweatpants and other accessories.

This news leads to one important question: When will the TikTok and Instagram influencers get involved?

Well, (sigh) they already are.

"There is no better way to bring sweet and spicy to life than the adorable, yet fierce grandmas that have been taking over the TikTok and Instagram scene," Pepsi officials explained in their latest release. "MTN DEW is partnering with influencers like @baddiewinkle and @GrannyCoyBundy to showcase their sweet and spicy personalities."