Back when high fructose corn syrup hadn’t yet been invented, the phrase “Mountain Dew” meant something very different. While that name now reminds us of a highly caffeinated soft drink, originally it referred to homemade corn-based booze, or moonshine. Mountain Dew’s new limited-edition product is supposed to evoke moonshine while removing corn from the beverage altogether.

The beverage comes in four-packs of glass bottles, and is clear and vaguely citrus-flavored. So it’s malt liquor, then? No. It’s Mountain Dew. Its trademarked name is Mountain Dew Dew Shine, but it contains no alcohol despite being named after two different classic homemade intoxicants. (Yes. “Dew dew.” We had the same thought.)

What we don’t know yet is whether this sort of Mountain Dew will contain caffeine. If it follows the pattern of the previous Mountain Dew “heritage” flavor, Johnson City Gold, in 2012, it will be caffeinated. Dew Shine is packaged like a craft-style soda, and sues cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.

The beverage goes on sale later this month. We do not know how it tastes mixed with whiskey, which was the original purpose of the soft drink invented in Johnson City, Tennessee that eventually became the Mountain Dew that we know and either love or hate today.

New Mountain Dew “DewShine” to Hit Shelves Later This Month [Brand Eating]

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