This Fan-Favorite Taco Bell Drink Is Getting A Boozy Twist

Taco Bell is a go-to restaurant for late-night munchies thanks to their salty, greasy, and totally satisfying creations — and drinks, too. To wash down that whole packet of hot sauce you put on your Crunchwrap Supreme, there's nothing that really quenches thirst quite like a Baja Blast. According to The Daily Meal, Baja Blast is a Mountain Dew flavor that was created and sold exclusively at Taco Bell starting in 2004. It isn't described as one particular flavor, but more of an "experience." Taco Bell compares it to "drinking a real hurricane" (per their official website) with its mix of tropical notes that are the perfect complement to a late-night taco run. 

This tropical delight in a cup has been so popular over the years that it was transformed into a frozen drink in 2012 (via The Daily Meal). And in 2014, ten years after the drink's initial release, it also became available in mass market grocery stores, and fans were overjoyed. According to PepsiCo, 36 million people came to Taco Bell every week to buy Baja Blast, so making it available in stores was a no-brainer. Since then, the company has released a few additional flavors of the popular soft drink, but their latest announcement is the biggest game changer of them all.

Every iteration of Baja Blast, from its original carbonated form to its frozen twist to all the new flavors, has been received with open arms by fans. Looking for yet another way to keep the massive following excited about the drink, PepsiCo decided they should appeal to their adult audience by making it boozy. The first round of alcohol-infused Baja Blast came in 2015 when Taco Bell opened its first Taco Bell Cantina in Chicago (via The Washington Post). At this more upscale fast-casual concept, patrons have the option to add tequila, vodka, or rum to their favorite beverage to truly elevate the experience. Similar to the original evolution of the soft drink, PepsiCo did not want to limit the reach of boozy Baja Blast just to TB fans, so they planned to make it available in stores — and are finally doing good on that mission this year.

It all happened after the soda giant partnered with Boston Beer Company in the summer of 2021 to produce a line of "HARD MTN DEW," a "sugar-free canned beverage with 5% alcohol by volume" (per CNN). Now that they were able to dip their toes into the pool of spiked seltzer, they are going all in with a boozy Baja Blast, which will also be 5% alcohol by volume with no caffeine or added sugar. This flavor will be released in late February in a limited number of states and it is sure to be a conversation piece at any party.