What Flavor Is Mountain Dew's Iconic Baja Blast?

No trip to Taco Bell is complete without procuring a tall cup of Baja Blast. The tropical-themed beverage pairs perfectly with a Big Cheez-It Tostada or some Cheesy Street Chalupas, and it has earned a reputation as one of the best Mountain Dew flavors, full stop. The aquamarine-hued Baja Blast debuted as a Taco Bell exclusive in 2004 and has been capturing the hearts (and taste buds) of soda fans ever since.

A sip of Baja Blast instantly transports you to a tropical paradise (you could even say it blasts you right to Baja California). The flavor was specifically designed to complement Taco Bell's Tex-Mex cuisine, but Taco Bell doesn't exactly advertise what that flavor is — its online menu informs us that drinking Baja Blast is "like drinking a real hurricane," which, while an interesting thought exercise, is pretty vague. Luckily, PepsiCo, the manufacturer of Baja Blast, gives us a straight answer: Baja Blast is a combination of Mountain Dew and tropical lime.

Soft drink brands are famously cagey about their proprietary blends (we may never know all of the 23 secret flavors in Dr Pepper), so we should probably be grateful that PepsiCo has even revealed the tropical lime aspect of Baja Blast's flavor profile. Still, it begs the question, what exactly makes the lime tropical? The general consensus among internet soda sleuths seems to be that it's a blend of lime and some kind of tropical fruit. Some have suggested that it could be a hint of coconut flavor, while others speculate that it might be a touch of pineapple, mango, or even grapefruit.

A viral TikTok trend suggests that mixing regular Mountain Dew with blue Powerade or Gatorade achieves a similar flavor to Baja Blast. This further complicates matters, because Blue Powerade is supposed to have a mixed berry flavor. The official ingredient list for Baja Blast includes carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, Yellow 5, and Blue 1. While this hints at the soft drink's citrus flavor and aquamarine color, it doesn't reveal much else.

Baja Blast is always available at the Taco Bell soda fountain, and we wouldn't blame you if you went to Taco Bell just to get a cool cup of the popular drink. But if for whatever reason you can't make it to Taco Bell, the tropical soda proves to be far more elusive. When it was released in 2004, Baja Blast was the first restaurant-exclusive soft drink designed to pair with the food, and its distribution was limited to Taco Bell soda fountains for 10 long years.

Baja Blast was first released in bottled form in 2014 for a limited time. Since then, it has made occasional seasonal appearances on store shelves, but it's always been a rare find. Luckily, Mountain Dew Baja Blast will be available at grocery stores nationwide through 2024 to celebrate the soda's 20th "Bajaversary." This is the first time bottled Baja Blast will be available at grocery stores year-round, so you might want to stock up while you can.