Retaining customer interest in the eternally changing landscape that is the fast-food market is a Herculean task, to say the least.
That's a big part of the reason that along with the debuts of new staple foods like double and triple-stacked burgers and cheese-laden fries, you might see some really odd items hit the market.
Jack in the Box (JACK) tried it with a bacon shake, and Yum Brands' (YUM) Kentucky Fried Chicken once made a chicken sandwich with a glazed doughnut as the bun.
McDonald's (MCD) Japan once served Pumpkin Spice fries, which sounds like an absolutely awful combination.
And who could forget McDonald's Kuro Burgers, which were all over social media thanks to their ghoulish looks.
Trying something weird isn't always a total flop, though.
Yum Brands (YUM) Taco Bell was one of the lucky ones when it came to weird fast-food combos. Putting a taco inside a Doritos shell never should have worked, but somehow it did.
Now PepsiCo's (PEP) Mountain Dew (or as it prefers to be called, MTN DEW) is next up with some wild test concoctions, according to Chewboom. But to be fair, it's giving people a pretty amazing setting to try them in.
PepsiCo
What Are Mountain Dew's New Flavors?
So here's a building called the Mountain Dew Outpost, and as you can see, it is very green. It's located on Doe Mountain, which is just outside Mountain City in northeast Tennessee, right at the state's nexus with Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky.
This pop-up event kicks off on June 4 and runs through June 12 and is open to everyone. Showing up will net you a complimentary pass to hike the mountain, as well as access to the Outpost and all the Dew-related activities within.
There's also a schedule, which includes birding hikes, tasting events, archery tournaments, scavenger hunts, and more.
So about those flavors: Some of them, like Huckleberry, Elderberry, and Summer Popsicle, sound as if they could be okay, maybe even good depending on how they're concocted.
Then there's Pickle, which could appeal to the pickle-juice lovers out there but still seems like a pretty odd choice for a drink.
Lastly, there's Apple Cinnamon, and S'mores, which is pretty good as a hot chocolate variety but sounds not-quite right as a soda flavor.
With any luck you'll be too distracted by all the stuff Mountain Dew has planned for you to be too phased by some of these drinks. But the company has made clear it wants customer feedback on the flavors, so surely let 'em know either way.
Speaking of, it's worth noting that the tasting part of the event is hosted between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and only 150 people will be served a day. So if you're hot to get your hands on that S'mores soda, setting your alarm to get up early is probably a good idea.
