Mountain Dew Zero Sugar is a Mountain Dew variant with zero calories (as its name implies), compared to the 290 calories in the original, and is sweetened with artificial sweeteners instead of Corn Syrup or Sugar that the original uses.
Description
Mountain Dew Zero Sugar is a modified version of the original formula, containing zero sugar but retaining the same citrus taste and yellow-green color as the original Mountain Dew drink, similar to, but a separate drink from, Diet Mountain Dew.
Tagline
Its tagline is "Zero Sugar DEW."
History
On September 11th, 2019, Mountain Dew Zero Sugar was first leaked on the Dew Drinker Discord, planning to get released in some sizes. At the time of this leak, there wasn't any known release date about it. After a few months from this leak, it was known that it would get released on January 13th, 2020, in the United States.
On November 19th, 2019, YouTube channel myCountyMarket posted a soda review about the flavor on their video on YouTube. The channel's video revealed that it would be released sometime in early 2020. The channel's video also unfolded that Mountain Dew Zero Sugar planned to get promoted during Super Bowl LIV.
Before its introduction, people were worried that it would replace Diet Mountain Dew as the new low sugar drink in the United States. It was confirmed by a PepsiCo employee that there weren't any plans for Zero Sugar to replace Diet Mountain Dew. Instead, the two flavors will coexist. As of June 2022, Diet and Zero Sugar are still available for Americans to enjoy.
Officially, it was released in stores on January 13th, 2020, throughout stores nationwide in the United States as a permanent flavor in various sizes such as 20-ounce Sidekick bottles, 24-ounce bottles, 16 ounces/16.9-ounce multipack bottles, 1-liter bottles, 2-liter bottles, 12-packs, 24-packs. It is also available in fountain form exclusively at Circle K locations in February 2020, replacing both flavors of Mountain Dew Ice and Pitch Black.
A few weeks later, it was promoted in a commercial during Super Bowl LIV that had a shade on a famous scene from the classic Warner Bros. Pictures horror film The Shining. It led to a massive boost in the popularity of Mountain Dew Zero Sugar.
International release
Canada
At the start of April 2020, following the American release of Mountain Dew Zero Sugar in January 2020, Mountain Dew Zero Sugar replaced Diet Mountain Dew (unlike in the United States where the two flavors coexisted). It was only released in 12 packs.
Trivia
- This flavor was leaked long before its release on the Dew Drinker Discord.
- Mountain Dew Zero Sugar was featured on the YouTube channel myCountyMarket along with several other pre-release flavors of Mountain Dew.
- Mountain Dew Zero Sugar and its flavor lineup has 20% more caffeine than regular Mountain Dew.
