Boston Beer Company and PepsiCo Beverages today announced a new partnership project: “HARD MTN DEW.”
Launching in the U.S. in early 2022, the 5% ABV flavored malt beverage will be developed and produced by Boston Beer, while PepsiCo has set up a new entity to sell, deliver, and merchandise the product, according to a press release.
“We know that adult drinkers’ tastes are evolving, and they are looking for new and exciting flavorful beverages,” Boston Beer CEO Dave Burwick said in the release. “The combination of our experience in brewing and developing the best-tasting hard seltzers and hard teas, and Mountain Dew, a one of kind multi-billion dollar brand, will deliver the excitement and refreshment that drinkers know and love.”
While Hard Mountain Dew will have similar branding to the Mountain Dew soft drink, the new product will have no caffeine and no sugar, according to a Boston Beer spokesperson. A final calorie count is not yet available because the recipes are still in final development stages. It will be available in original, black cherry and watermelon flavors, with a soon-to-be-named fourth forthcoming, the spokesperson said.
Hard Mountain Dew will be available in 24 oz. single serve cans and variety 12-packs of 12 oz. cans.
“For 80 years MTN DEW has challenged the status quo, bringing bold flavors and unmatched beverage innovation to millions of fans,” Kirk Tanner, PepsiCo Beverages North America CEO, said in the release. “The Boston Beer Company partnership combines two recognized leaders in our respective industries to address the changing tastes of drinkers and we are thrilled at the opportunity to create HARD MTN DEW that maintains the bold, citrus flavor fans know and expect.”
For now, the partnership is only focused on Mountain Dew-branded offerings.
“As part of our collaborative work, we will be looking for opportunities to innovate together, but currently we do not have any plans to share involving other brands,” the spokesperson told Brewbound. “We’re looking forward to getting HARD MTN DEW on shelves first and then will go from there.”
While the partnership between the two companies is new, their connection through Burwick goes back decades. Before taking the reins at Boston Beer in 2018 following the departure of longtime CEO Martin Roper, Burwick’s career included 20 years at PepsiCo, where he last served as chief marketing officer in 2009.
This new partnership is the second time Boston Beer has blurred lines beyond its heritage as an early craft brewery. Last month, Boston Beer announced a joint venture with spirits behemoth Beam Suntory that will cross categories for both companies.
Early products expected to come from the JV include Truly Hard Seltzer-branded spirits, which Beam Suntory will produce, and Sauza Tequila-branded flavored malt beverages, which Boston Beer will produce.
The release follows several other partnerships between breweries and non-alcoholic beverage producers. In 2019, Harpoon maker Mass. Bay Brewing joined forces with Worcester, Massachusetts-based non-alc company Polar Beverages to produce Arctic Chill Hard Seltzer.
Molson Coors and Coca-Cola launched Topo Chico Hard Seltzer in March, which holds a 1.4% market share of all hard seltzer tracked by wholesaler data firm Fintech through Week 27 of 2021. Heineken USA and AriZona Iced Tea maker Hornell Brewing have partnered on SunRise Hard Seltzer. Oklahoma City-based craft brewery COOP Ale Works and Sonic Drive-In have collaborated on a line of hard seltzers using some of the fast food giant’s signature soft drink flavors.
Boston Beer previously dabbled in hard soda in 2015 with a line under its Coney Island Brewing brand, but those fizzled out when the hard root beer fad ended.
Editor’s note: this story was updated at 10:50 a.m. to include additional information about package size, flavors and nutritional data.