Baja Blast

Mountain Dew Baja Blast[1] is a tropical lime-flavored soft drink created for Taco Bell restaurants. Since the original flavor's launch in 2004, the Baja Blast brand has since expanded to be available in retail stores and include new flavors. New versions of the Baja Blast include: alcoholic beverages, energy drinks, merchandise, and gelato. The drink's name is derived from the Mexican state of Baja California.

History

The flavor was first made available on July 29, 2004. Created for, and exclusively sold at Taco Bell locations, it was a collaboration between the company and Mountain Dew owners PepsiCo. One of the first instances of a restaurant offering an exclusive soda beverage, it was created to increase sales of fountain soda.[2][3] The flavor was heavily promoted at launch with advertising campaigns.[4]

In 2014, ten years after the drink's original launch, it was released for the first time in a packaged format for retail sale.[5][6] The retail release was only available for a limited time. The drink was promoted on Twitter, as well as through on-air advertisements featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr.[7]

In December 2013/January 2014, Taco Bell released Mountain Dew Sangrita Blast, a non-alcoholic sangria flavor, as a sister flavor to Baja Blast, along with a diet version of Baja Blast.[8][9][10][11]

In 2015, Baja Blast was re-released for a limited time at retail stores, along with Sangrita Blast.[12][13][14]

In 2016, the flavor was part of the "DEWcision" campaign. It was put up against Mountain Dew flavor Pitch Black, and fans would vote for their favorite, the winner of which would be kept on store shelves permanently. The campaign featured wide promotion of both flavors, including advertisements,[15] NASCAR paint schemes[16] and a "Dewggro Crag" event themed around the Nickelodeon game show Guts.[17][18] It was ultimately announced that Pitch Black had won the vote, and would remain on store shelves.[19][20] As such, Baja Blast was once again discontinued from retailers.

Following the discontinuation of Pitch Black due to poor sales, the flavor returned to store shelves yearly since 2018.[21][22][23][24] A zero sugar version was offered starting in 2019.

In 2019, Taco Bell began offering a birthday-themed Baja Blast freeze to celebrate the drink's 15th birthday.[25][26][27] Select locations, branded "Taco Bell Cantina," offered the alcoholic "Mountain Dew Baja Blast Twisted Freeze."[28] The "Baja Blast Colada" freeze was offered by Taco Bell in 2021.[29][30][31]

In 2022, Baja Blast was announced as one of the flavors of the Hard Mountain Dew line of alcoholic beverages, which would release in retail stores later that year.[32][33][34][35] The flavor was added to the Mountain Dew Energy line of energy drinks later that year.[36][37]

The Baja Blast brand has expanded to include themed merchandise, such as flavored lip balm,[38] room sprays,[39] bath and body care products,[40] Baja Blast flavored gelato and Halloween costumes.[41] A limited-edition Baja Blast hot sauce was created in 2023 as part of a giveaway promotion.[42]

Taco Bell began testing a Baja Blast gelato on their menu in August 2023; during which it was offered for two weeks at a single location in Irvine, CA.[43] Taco Bell also offered Mountain Dew Energy Baja Blast in a test market, along with Baja Blast Charged Berry, which features the energy drink mixed with strawberry flavor.[44]

In January of 2024, Pepsi announced that in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Baja Blast, it would remain on shelves permanently, instead of its prior summer-only retail availability.[45] Advertised as the "20th Bajaversary," promotions for the anniversary included a Super Bowl LVIII advertisement, new products, and giveaway items.[46][47]

In 2025, Taco Bell announced that they would make a limited edition Baja Blast Pie that will be available at all locations for $19.99.[48]

In 2026, Pepsi announced they had signed a deal with Major League Baseball to make Baja Blast the official soft drink of the league, replacing Coca-Cola (Pepsi’s biggest rival in the soft drink industry, who had previously replaced Pepsi as an MLB sponsor in 2017).[49]

Flavors

In 2021, Baja Blast was released at retail as part of the "Summer of Baja" promotion, alongside new, "spinoff" flavors. These flavors were Baja Punch, a tropical punch flavor, and Baja Flash, a piña colada flavor.[24][50][51]

In June 2022, Baja Blast's retail release was accompanied with new flavors Baja Gold, a pineapple flavor, and Baja Mango Gem, a mango flavor. A third new flavor, Baja Deep Dive, was a mystery flavor available exclusively as a giveaway prize.[37][36]

Hard Mountain Dew, an alcoholic line of Mountain Dew flavors, offers Baja Blast as one of its flavors. In May 2023, a Baja Blast variety pack was announced, including new flavors Hard Baja Blast Pineapple, Hard Baja Blast Punch and Hard Baja Blast Mango.[52]

Shortly after, in June 2023, Baja Blast was released into retail stores for the ninth time, this time accompanied with new flavors Baja Caribbean Splash, a guava flavor, and Baja Passionfruit Punch, a passionfruit flavor.[53]

In March 2024, Pepsi released two new flavors for a limited time: Baja Laguna Lemonade, a mango lemonade flavor, and Baja Point Break Punch, a tropical punch flavor.[54] In April, Doritos released a limited-time flavor inspired by Baja Blast, Doritos Baja Fiery Mango.[55]

In 2025, Taco Bell revealed that they would release a new flavor of Baja Blast in summer 2025 called Baja Midnight, a passionfruit flavor.[56] An additional flavor, Baja Cabo Citrus, was released in-stores for a limited time in spring 2025,[40] and later returned as a year-long limited time offer, with a reformulation that excludes artificial dyes, and a slightly revised taste.[57]

See also

• Sweet Lightning, a Mountain Dew variant exclusive to KFC
• List of soft drink brands