Mountain Dew is one of the most popular soft drinks in the United States, known for its bright green color and unique citrus flavor. SodaStream is a popular home carbonation system that allows you to make sparkling water and carbonated beverages at home. A common question people have is whether you can use SodaStream to make homemade Mountain Dew.
What is Mountain Dew?
Mountain Dew is a citrus-flavored soda made and distributed by PepsiCo. It was first developed in the 1940s and was originally intended to be a mixer for whiskey. The bright green color comes from the use of brominated vegetable oil as an emulsifier. The original formula was only lemon and orange flavors, but modern Mountain Dew contains additional fruit flavors such as pineapple, lime, and raspberry.
Some of the signature ingredients in Mountain Dew include:
- High fructose corn syrup – sweetener
- Concentrated orange juice
- Citric acid – provides tartness
- Sodium citrate – balances pH levels
- Caffeine
- Brominated vegetable oil – emulsifier that suspends citrus flavor oils
- Natural flavors – lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, grapefruit
- Preservatives (e.g. sodium benzoate)
- Yellow 5 – artificial food coloring
In addition to the original Mountain Dew, there are now many different variant flavors such as Code Red, Voltage, LiveWire, and Baja Blast.
What is SodaStream?
SodaStream is a home carbonation system that allows you to carbonate water and create fizzy drinks. The main components are:
- Carbonator – this is the unit that carbonates the water by adding CO2
- CO2 cylinder – contains the pressurized carbon dioxide that carbonates the water
- Flavorings – SodaStream sells many types of syrups and flavorings to customize your drinks
To make sparkling water or soda with SodaStream, you fill the included reusable bottle with water, attach it to the carbonator, press the button to inject CO2, then enjoy your fizzy drink.
The main benefits of SodaStream include:
- More affordable than buying packaged soda or seltzer
- Customizable flavors – make regular or diet soda, sparkling water, etc
- Reusable – cuts down on waste from cans and bottles
- Convenient and easy to use
SodaStream allows you to control the fizziness level and flavor intensity of your homemade drinks. The company sells many natural and artificial soda syrups, juice cordials, and water enhancers. Popular SodaStream flavors include cola, lemon-lime, root beer, ginger ale, peach, cherry, and more.
Can You Make Mountain Dew with SodaStream?
Because Mountain Dew has a very distinctive citrus flavor profile and uses specific coloring, preservatives, and stabilizers, you cannot exactly replicate Mountain Dew using SodaStream.
However, it is possible to make a homemade soda with SodaStream that is similar to Mountain Dew in color and flavor. Here are some options for recreating a Mountain Dew-esque drink:
Fruit Juice Syrup Method
SodaStream sells fruit juice cordial syrups such as lemon, lime, orange, and pineapple that you can mix to try to mimic a Mountain Dew flavor profile. The downside is that the fruit syrups alone will not create the neon green color that Mountain Dew is known for. However, you can add a drop of green food coloring to get the color right.
The benefit of using real juice concentrates is you’ll get an all-natural flavor, but it will likely be slightly less sweet than real Mountain Dew which contains high fructose corn syrup. You may need to add a bit of sugar or stevia to increase the sweetness.
SodaStream Cola Syrup
Many people who have tried recommend using SodaStream’s regular cola syrup as a base and then adding additional fruit flavors such as a squirt of lemon juice, orange juice, or lime juice to give it more of a citrus punch. This allows you to skip using artificial food coloring while still getting a darker brown colored soda.
The cola syrup on its own will be fairly close to the signature Mountain Dew flavor since it contains citric acid, natural flavors, and caffeine like the real thing. Adding extra citrus juices customizes it to be closer to Mountain Dew’s taste profile.
Generic Citrus Soda Syrup
Alternatively, you can use a generic lemon-lime flavored soda syrup, which are available from third party sellers online. Many people report these taste fairly close to Mountain Dew. The color will also likely be very similar.
One downside is that these generic syrups likely use artificial flavors and coloring instead of real juice. However, they provide the most convenience and closest approximation in terms of color and flavor.
DIY Natural Syrup
For a completely homemade natural option, you can try to make your own syrup using lemon and lime juice along with orange food extracts. Mix together a simple syrup of water and sugar heated until dissolved, then add lemon juice, lime juice, and small amounts of orange extract to taste.
You’ll have to experiment with proportions to try to match Mountain Dew’s citrus profile. This gives you complete control over ingredients for a natural option without artificial colors or flavors. However, it requires more work to get the flavor and color just right. You’ll need to add green food coloring for the iconic Mountain Dew appearance.
Tips for Making Mountain Dew with SodaStream
Here are some handy tips to get the closest result when making a Mountain Dew copycat soda with your SodaStream:
- Use a combination of lemon, lime, and orange flavors
- Add a few drops of green food coloring for color
- Sweeten to taste with sugar, honey, stevia, or other sweeteners
- Add a dash of citric acid for extra tartness
- For fizziness, use 3-4 bursts of the SodaStream carbonator
- Chill soda before drinking for optimal refreshment
- Consider adding a splash of ginger ale or pineapple juice for extra flavor complexity
- Shake syrup flavors together in the SodaStream bottle before adding carbonated water to mix and disperse flavors
Don’t be afraid to experiment and adjust flavors and sweetness to suit your preferences when trying to craft a homemade Mountain Dew with SodaStream. It may take some tweaking before you perfect your ideal replica.
Pros and Cons of Making Mountain Dew with SodaStream
There are some advantages and disadvantages to consider when making homemade Mountain Dew-like soda with a SodaStream machine:
Pros:
- Customizable flavor – adjust to your taste preferences
- Control over ingredients – use natural flavors and avoid artificial dyes
- Potentially healthier – less or no high fructose corn syrup
- Fun DIY project for Mountain Dew fans
- More economical than buying cans or bottles regularly
- Convenient homemade soda whenever you want
Cons:
- Takes effort to recreate flavor and color
- May still need artificial color to get distinctive green
- Upfront costs of buying SodaStream machine and supplies
- Won’t be exactly the same as commercial Mountain Dew
- Need to buy new CO2 canisters periodically
As you can see, the ability to customize and control your ingredients is a major perk of making homemade soda. However, it does require some effort to mimic commercial sodas like Mountain Dew. Keep the pros and cons in mind as you decide if DIY soda creation with SodaStream fits your preferences and lifestyle.
Comparison of Mountain Dew vs. Homemade with SodaStream
To see how a homemade version stacks up against the real thing, here is a comparison of some key attributes between Mountain Dew and a SodaStream imitation:
| Attribute | Mountain Dew | Homemade with SodaStream |
|---|---|---|
| Flavor | Extreme citrus flavor from blend of orange, lemon, lime | Good but not exact replica of citrus flavor |
| Color | Iconic bright green | Can match color by adding food coloring |
| Carbonation | Highly carbonated | Adjustable carbonation level |
| Sweetness | Very sweet from high fructose corn syrup | Adjustable sweetness level |
| Preservatives | Contains preservatives like sodium benzoate | No preservatives needed for homemade |
| Caffeine content | 55 mg per 12 oz | No caffeine unless added |
As you can see, with some careful tweaking, you can get pretty close to Mountain Dew with a homemade SodaStream version. The main differences are an exact flavor match, and preservative and caffeine levels.
Conclusion
In summary, while you cannot replicate Mountain Dew exactly using SodaStream, you can get reasonably close with the right combination of fruit syrups, food coloring, and custom adjustments. To mimic the bright citrus flavor, use a blend of lemon, lime, and orange syrups or juice concentrates. Add a few drops of green food dye to nail the vibrant color that Mountain Dew is known for.
The ability to control sweetness level, carbonation intensity, and ingredients is a major advantage of crafting homemade soda with SodaStream. With some experimentation, you can likely create a drink that will satisfy your Mountain Dew cravings. However, it will be different than the commercial version in some ways due to specific proprietary ingredients and formulas used in brand name sodas.
Overall, if you are a Mountain Dew lover, making your own version at home with SodaStream is certainly worth trying. The process of customizing and perfecting your replica can be really enjoyable. While it requires some effort, you may find that your homemade Dew is even better than the original!
Thabks, dount whole.