Hard Mountain Dew is here (and hard to drink)

Driving the news: The alcoholic soda launched in 2022 but just became available in Indiana last month.

• It's available in seven flavors, including original, Baja Blast, watermelon, Livewire and three Baja Blast variations: pineapple, punch and mango.
• It's sold in 24-ounce single cans and 12-pack 12-ounce can mix packs.

What we did: We picked up a mix pack of the original, Baja Blast, watermelon and Livewire flavors for a team taste test.

• Each 12-ounce can is sugar-free, 5% ABV and 100 calories.

What we found: Sorrow. Misery. Syrupy, overly sweet artificial flavors that tasted more like their various neon colors than Mountain Dew, alcohol or any sort of fruit.

• Livewire was a divisive flavor. Justin and Lindsey found it the most drinkable, but Arika gagged on its fake orange taste.
• Arika's favorite was watermelon, which was violently pink and tasted like Starburst. It was a "hard no" for Lindsey.
• Baja Blast tasted like a watered-down version of its namesake, and everyone hated the original, which we collectively described as having a bad aftertaste, tasting like a melted popsicle and "not good."

The bottom line: Don't dew it.