REVIEW: Mountain Dew x Trolli Cherry-Lemon

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Every year since 2019, Mtn Dew, no, sorry, Mountain Dew (they decided to spell it out again) has unleashed a spooky-themed mystery flavor under the name VooDEW. The freaky flavored opaque grey bubbly liquid ranged from the inaugural candy corn to “fruit candy chews” to 2023’s official collaboration with Airheads candy for a branded cherry flavor. But now Mountain Dew VooDEW is a ghost of the past, at least for 2025. Skipping over the frightful mystery contest in favor of a straight-up co-branded candy collab, this year’s newest Dew is a Trolli Cherry-Lemon gummy, available in only zero sugar.

While this absurdly vibrant red soda may lack the suspenseful surprise of the VooDEW branding, what it doesn’t lack is a punch when it comes to flavor. The cherry lemon gummy presence is just as bold as the coloring, with a strong cherry that verges on syrupy without ever going into the “not good” territory. It’s a big pop of cherry followed by lemon and the classic Dew flavor, which is already lemony in its own right.

The taste of this Trolli collaboration reminds me a lot of the early 2000s fan (and personal) favorite Code Red, with just a touch more citrus flare than I recall from Code Red, which favors the cherry. I imagine that side by side, there may be some additional nuance that comes out, but I’m not sure how much more gummy flavor can be injected into an already potent sweet mix like the foundation of Dew. In the same breath, it does taste remarkably like the yellow and red Trolli gummy worm, so it’s also quite accurate.

Regardless of whether this is a sneaky re-skin or not, it’s a close enough and tasty enough comp for a SKU whose zero sugar version is nowhere to be found in my area. As someone who tries to avoid full sugar drinks, I’m really enjoying this zero sugar Trolli Dew. It is a super sweet, almost-too-much-but-just-enough type of soda that is unique but familiar enough that I can absolutely see myself buying a 12-pack of cans and having no issue finishing it over the course of spooky season.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 20 ounces
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Bottle) 15 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 85 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Trolli Limited Edition Mountain Dew Sour Brite Crawlers

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If you’ve been waiting for your chance to “DO THE DEW” and “DO THE WORM” simultaneously (I wish I could take credit for this tagline, but alas, it’s ripped straight from the Mountain Dew website), you’d best slither on over to a package of the new limited edition Trolli x Mountain Dew Sour Brite Crawlers.

These candy critters aren’t the only option to fulfill all of your Dewy/wormy desires—this fruitful (ha) partnership also includes a Zero Sugar Cherry-Lemon soda—but I’m not opening that can of gummy worms today, so I’ll focus on this wriggly business.

As soon as I opened my pack, I was rewarded with a scent cloud that was certainly Mountain Dew-esque. The worms come in three flavors: the green Original Citrus, the red Original Citrus Cherry, and the blue Original Citrus Blue Raspberry.

You may, like me, be disappointed to note that there’s nary a “Code Red” or “Voltage” in sight—the savvy shopper suspects that this decision was made to broaden the pool of potential buyers to those who may be interested in gummies but unfamiliar with Mountain Dew’s intense yet vague naming conventions and while that is a bit of a bummer for Dewhards like Yours Dewly, fair enough. (What I can’t forgive as readily is the omission of Baja Blast, but maybe that’s another marketing thing—I concede that “Original Citrus Tropical Lime” does have a weird ring to it.)

Of course, I had to try the OG flavor first, and my verdict was… yeah, that tastes like what a Mountain Dew-flavored sour gummy worm should taste like! It starts with a burst of mild sourness that quickly recedes into sweetness, with a bright, refreshing throughline of fizzy citrus-ness. I usually don’t opt for snacks much sourer than a Sour Patch Kid, and fortunately for me, these fall on the lower side of the sour scale, such that even if you’re tentative towards tart treats, you shouldn’t have much of an issue. Because of the mellow flavor, if you told me these were Sprite gummies, I would have believed it, but they’re credible as Dew too. While I noticed an oddly artificial aftertaste (how dare my sugary snacks based on a radioactively-hued soda taste artificial!?), I found that to be minimized when I took smaller bites rather than gulping down a whole worm at once.

The red and blue variants had even more intense flavors, which I would say made me enjoy them more than the green, but the tradeoff was that they didn’t strike me as especially Dew-like. Rather, they tasted like pretty generic cherry and blue raspberry slushies. Appearance- and texture-wise, all of the worms are quite satisfying—they are thick, chewy but not too hard, and somewhat stretchy, with an appealing marbled pattern. (I tried to discern whether the lighter parts and the darker parts tasted different, but as best as I could tell, the difference was purely aesthetic.)

If you’re thinking about picking these up, I suggest you Mountain Dew it; they won’t be around forever, so make like an early bird and get that worm.

Purchased Price: $3.79
Size: 12.3 oz package
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (serving size of 5 pieces): 100 calories, 0 grams of fat, 45 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Mountain Dew Honeydew

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I want to start a #FreeMountainDewHoneydew campaign. Will you join me? Because it pains me to see the new Mountain Dew Honeydew be trapped by exclusivity in the US as a flavor that we can only purchase from regional convenience store chains that have spelling issues (Maverik) or cause giggling issues (Kum & Go). Let’s release those chains from those chains and bring it to all who wish to Do the Honeydew because it’s quite HoneyDew-licious.

Mountain Dew Honeydew actually made its deDew, I mean, debut in Canada in 2023, and since then, US Dew fans have wondered if we would ever get the flavor. But like ketchup and All-Dressed potato chips, it has made its way into the US stores, albeit not everywhere.

Twisting off the top and giving the freshly opened soda a sniff, its aroma was similar to many honeydew-flavored drinks I’ve had from Japan. Although the beverages from Japan usually have some kind of creamy component, this Dew didn’t have one. Instead, think of the best piece of honeydew you’ve ever had in your life, but sweeter with a stronger melon flavor and a hint of the underlying citrus flavor at the back end. That’s what this soda tastes like, and that’s why I adore it.

Being so good, it brings up another question besides, “Why is Mountain Dew Honeydew an exclusive flavor?” Why aren’t there more honeydew-flavored drinks in the US? Off the top of my head, I can’t think of another melon-flavored beverage offered throughout the United States. Although knowing my astute and lovely audience, I’m sure some of you will come up with one or two in the comments.

Much like it upsets me that the delicious Mtn Dew Maui Burst is a Dollar General exclusive, it’s equally as upsetting that Mountain Dew Honeydew is only available at a regional convenience store chain. My favorite Dew flavors are difficult to obtain, and that annoys me. Maybe I should move? Or start #FreeMountainDewHoneydew and #FreeMtnDewMauiBurst campaigns.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 270 calories, 0 grams of fat, 85 milligrams of sodium, 74 grams of carbohydrates, 73 grams of sugar (including 73 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 93 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Crush Electric Blue Razz Soda

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Crush Electric Blue Razz Soda 1.

It’s new! It’s blue! It’s like, totally tubular to the max! It’s Crush’s Back to the 80s Electric Blue Razz soda, and if you tend to like blue raspberry flavored things, you’re going to love it!

The can design, featuring a subtle vaporwave style background and some pixelated blue raspberries, really nails the 80s aesthetic. I can totally picture Ms. Pac-Man herself chasing down those squared off fruits, desperate for a taste of blue razz. But luckily for us, no mazes are required if you want to get your hands on some! It only took me a quick stop at my local Walmart.

Crush Electric Blue Razz Soda 2.

As soon as I popped the top on the first can, I was met with a scent as familiar and cozy as a well-worn blanket. That sweet, slightly tart, very blue scent I’ve grown accustomed to from a variety of candies and other treats greeted me like an old friend.

Crush Electric Blue Razz Soda 3.

The flavor was spot on. A sweet, bright top note followed by a quick burst of tartness, but it’s not sour. It finishes off with a well-balanced fruit-forward aftertaste. This stuff was exactly what I wanted from a blue raspberry soda. It hit every note perfectly, the only thing keeping it from achieving a perfect 10 out of 10 score is that the flavor was a bit milder than I’d hoped. It’s definitely more subtle than say, Mountain Dew. It does, however, make truly excellent floats. And if you have a Ninja Slushi, it makes for a movie-theater-worthy blue slush with the perfect texture and viscosity. All in all, I love this addition to the summer soda lineup. I hope it sticks around for a while. But just in case it doesn’t, I’ll be stocking up.

Sidenote: if you’ve ever wondered about blue raspberries and why they are just a flavor and aren’t an actual fruit, the answer is to help easily distinguish it from other “red” flavors and to replace a specific food dye that was discontinued in the 1970s. The more you know!

Purchased Price: $6.34
Size: 12 pack/12 oz cans
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Per Serving: 170 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 43 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Vernors Boston Cooler

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Ah, Michigan. Home of American autos, Detroit-style pizzas…and Boston Coolers?

One of these things is not like the other. But nearly 160 years ago, Vernors joined the soda world from, you guessed it, a pharmacy – just like many of its fizzy forebears.

Vernors is ginger ale, but not the sharp, spicy kind you’d find in a ginger beer. Think Canada Dry, but even more mellow in my opinion.

A Boston Cooler is like a root beer float – only the “root beer” part is Vernors ginger ale.

The origins of the seemingly random name? Murky at best.

Some trace it to Boston Boulevard in Detroit’s historic Boston-Edison neighborhood. Others say marketers liked the ring of “Boston” over “Detroit.” Another theory? It was once a generic name for any soda + ice cream combo. Whatever the real story, Vernors trademarked “Boston Cooler” in 1967 for its ginger ale ice cream bar, and by the ’70s, it had become a Detroit staple.

As a current Michigander, I had to ask the born-and-raised Michiganders. The response was lots of nostalgic nods as well as friendly reminders that “we call it pop here, not soda.”

So when the limited-time Vernors Boston Cooler soda pop hit shelves, I had to give it a try.

My first impression, though: heavy artificial vanilla. Think A&W Cream Soda on the nose. As I kept sipping, my brain tried to convince me it was tasting a creamsicle. The vanilla was overpowering – so much so that the Vernors flavor felt like an extra in the background rather than the supporting actor. Sweet, yes. Fizzy, yes. But that signature “ginger” note? Not really there.

All in all, it was kind of a letdown. I think I’d rather try the original ginger ale ice cream bar for the full experience. Still, if you’re curious (or just craving a taste of Michigan nostalgia), grab it while it’s around. You’ll find it in 12-packs of 12-ounce cans, 20-ounce bottles, and 2-liter bottles.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 2 liter bottle

Purchased at: Meijer
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 140 calories, 0 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 38 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein

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