Mountain Dew’s Evolution as a Concept to Tickle Our Innards

Even if you’ve never dared to try it, almost everyone knows what Mountain Dew is. Its sci-fi nuclear-green color and barely legal caffeine content gave it a reputation as one of the more extreme soft drinks, at least before the energy-drink era. Its name was meant as a jokey reference to an old nickname for moonshine. There’s now an official state historical marker on Magnolia Avenue that tells the story of how in 1948 the Hartman Bottling Company introduced a lemon-lime soda in the adjacent brick building, called it Mountain Dew, and promoted it with a hillbilly motif. Who knew that something that is drunk all over the country, started right here in Knoxville. But so, it did. The next time you crack the lid off one, let us know if it “Tickles yore Innards!”  Written by Jack Neely and read by Benny Smith.  Special thanks to producer Pete Carty. Knoxville Chronicles is brought to you by the nonprofit Knoxville History Project.Funding for this episode has been kindly provided by the City of Knoxville and Friends of the Knoxville History Project, plus Gary Balltrip and Christopher Manning, who made donations on National Giving Day 2025 to support Season IV all year long. Thanks to all.Please consider making a donation to the Knoxville History Project to help support this ongoing podcast. Learn more at KnoxvilleHistoryProject.org