Mountain Dew /

Mountain Dew is a citrus-flavored carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in the 1940s by two Tennessee beverage bottlers, Barney and Ally Hartman, and was first marketed in Marion, VA, Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee. A revised formula was created by Bill Bridgforth in 1958. The Mountain Dew brand and production rights were acquired by PepsiCo in 1964, at which point its distribution expanded more widely across the United States. Between the 1940s and 1980s, Mountain Dew consisted of a single citrus-flavored version. Diet Mountain Dew was introduced in 1988, followed by Mountain Dew Red which was introduced - and discontinued - in 1988. While Mountain Dew Red was short-lived, it represented the beginning of a long-term trend of Mountain Dew being produced in different flavor variations. This product line extension trend has continued in the 2000s, with expansion into specialty, limited time production, and retailer-specific (Taco Bell, 7-Eleven) variations of Mountain Dew. Production was first extended to the U.K. in 1996, though this initial debut was short-lived as it was phased out in 1998.