PepsiCo follows rivals into hard seltzer market

Soft drink producer PepsiCo is also jumping the hard seltzer bandwagon: the American food giant plans to launch an alcoholic drink in the United States early next year, under the umbrella of its soft drink brand Mountain Dew – following in the footsteps of its arch rival Coca-Cola.

Diversification

Boston Beer will develop and produce the flavoured drink, called “Hard Mtn Dew”. It will have Mountain Dew’s citrus taste, but the new variant will have an alcohol content of around 5 %, French newspaper LesEchos writes.

With the launch of Hard Mtn Dew, the drinks giant is following the example of its big rival, Coca-Cola. Last September, the Atlanta-based company introduced its hard seltzer “Topo Chico” in Mexico, which is now also available in several European countries, including Belgium. Coca-Cola’s drink is not expected on the United States market until early 2022, however.

PepsiCo has been diversifying its portfolio for some time, as traditional soft drinks have come under increasing pressure – primarily due to their high sugar content. The company has done significant acquisitions in fruit juices (Tropicana), carbonised water makers (SodaStream) and energy drinks (Rockstar).