While coffee, tea, and juice are typically the morning beverages of choice, Mountain Dew is hoping that what people really want for breakfast is soda. Pepsico Inc. has created a new drink, which it has dubbed a "sparkling juice beverage," in an attempt to take advantage of the A.M. market.
According to the Associated Press, the new morning beverage is called Kickstart. It features 5 percent real fruit juice, caffeine, and, of course, the "great taste of Mountain Dew." Kickstart will come in two varieties, Orange Citrus and Fruit Punch.
Mountain Dew is marketing the beverage as having fewer calories than a typical soda (it contains 80 per 16-ounce can) and less caffeine than your average energy drink. The company is also clear that Kickstart doesn't contain any of the dubious energy drink ingredients that continue to raise health concerns. Yet the 16-ounce can looks suspiciously similar to several energy drinks that are already popular choices.
Apparently there is actually a market for a breakfast soda, which PepsiCo was made aware of through consumer research. Mountain Dew fans want an alternative to "traditional" breakfast beverages.
While Kickstart does have a flavor called Orange Citrus, PepsiCo denies that the drink has anything to do with a Taco Bell experiment last year in which the company mixed orange juice and Mountain Dew. That drink, called Mtn Dew A.M., was also sold as a morning beverage.
Mountain Dew will roll out Kickstart nationwide on February 25. However those who don't want to wait can request a can from kickstartfirsttaste.com.
Will you try Kickstart? What is your preferred morning drink?
Follow Delish on Instagram.
