Baja Blast facts for kids
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| Type | Citrus soft drink |
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| Manufacturer | PepsiCo |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | July 29, 2004 |
| Color | Teal |
| Related products | |
Mountain Dew Baja Blast is a special soft drink with a tropical lime flavor. It was first made just for Taco Bell restaurants. Since it first came out in 2004, Baja Blast has become very popular. Now, you can find it in stores and in new flavors. The name "Baja Blast" comes from Baja California, a state in Mexico.
Contents
History of Baja Blast
How Baja Blast Started
The Baja Blast flavor first appeared on July 29, 2004. It was created especially for Taco Bell restaurants. This was a team-up between Taco Bell and PepsiCo, the company that owns Mountain Dew. It was one of the first times a restaurant had its own special soda. The idea was to get more people to buy fountain drinks. When it launched, there were lots of advertisements for it.
Baja Blast in Stores
In 2014, ten years after it first came out, Baja Blast was sold in bottles and cans in stores for the first time. This was only for a short time. The drink was promoted on social media and in TV ads.
In late 2013 and early 2014, Taco Bell also released Mountain Dew Sangrita Blast. This was a non-alcoholic flavor, like a sister drink to Baja Blast. A diet version of Baja Blast also came out around this time.
In 2015, Baja Blast was sold in stores again for a limited time, along with Sangrita Blast.
The "DEWcision" Campaign
In 2016, Baja Blast was part of a special "DEWcision" campaign. It went head-to-head with another Mountain Dew flavor called Pitch Black. Fans got to vote for their favorite. The winner would stay on store shelves forever. Both flavors were promoted a lot, with ads and special events. In the end, Pitch Black won the vote. So, Baja Blast was stopped from being sold in stores again.
Baja Blast Returns to Stores
After Pitch Black was stopped from being sold, Baja Blast started coming back to stores every year since 2018. A version with zero sugar was also offered starting in 2019.
In 2019, Taco Bell celebrated Baja Blast's 15th birthday. They offered a special birthday-themed Baja Blast freeze. Taco Bell also offered a "Baja Blast Colada" freeze in 2021.
New Baja Blast Products
In 2022, Baja Blast was added to the Mountain Dew Energy line of energy drinks.
The Baja Blast brand has also grown to include fun items like flavored lip balm, room sprays, and even Halloween costumes. In 2023, a special Baja Blast hot sauce was made for a giveaway.
In August 2023, Taco Bell tested a Baja Blast gelato on their menu. It was available for two weeks at one location. Taco Bell also tested Mountain Dew Energy Baja Blast, and a new flavor called Baja Blast Charged Berry.
20th Anniversary Celebration
In January 2024, Pepsi announced something exciting! To celebrate Baja Blast's 20th anniversary, it would stay on store shelves all year long. Usually, it was only available in the summer. This "20th Bajaversary" included a big advertisement during the Super Bowl LVIII. There were also new products and giveaway items.
Baja Blast Flavors
Summer of Baja
In 2021, Baja Blast was released in stores as part of the "Summer of Baja" event. This also brought new "spinoff" flavors. These were Baja Punch, which tasted like tropical punch, and Baja Flash, which tasted like piña colada.
In June 2022, Baja Blast came back to stores with more new flavors. These included Baja Gold, a pineapple flavor, and Baja Mango Gem, a mango flavor. A third new flavor, Baja Deep Dive, was a mystery flavor. You could only get it as a prize in a giveaway.
More New Flavors
In June 2023, Baja Blast was released in stores for the ninth time. This time, it came with new flavors: Baja Caribbean Splash, which tasted like guava, and Baja Passionfruit Punch, a passionfruit flavor.
In March 2024, Pepsi released two more new flavors for a limited time. These were Baja Laguna Lemonade, a mango lemonade flavor, and Baja Point Break Punch, a tropical punch flavor. In April, Doritos released a limited-time chip flavor inspired by Baja Blast, called Doritos Baja Fiery Mango.
In 2025, Taco Bell shared that they would release a new Baja Blast flavor in summer 2025 called Baja Midnight, which is a passionfruit flavor. Another flavor, Baja Cabo Citrus, was released in stores for a limited time in spring 2025.
See also
- List of soft drink brands
