Mountain Dew was originally created in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. Ironically, it was not intended to be a citrus-flavored soda for youth; it was designed as a mixer for whiskey. In those days, the term 'mountain dew' was a popular slang term for moonshine (illegal homemade whiskey). The original formula was more of a lemon-lime flavor, similar to 7-Up. The brand struggled until it was purchased by the Tip Corporation in 1958, which revised the flavor to the highly caffeinated, citrus-heavy recipe we know today. PepsiCo bought the brand in 1964 and transformed it into a global powerhouse through extreme sports marketing and the introduction of countless 'Code Red' and 'Baja Blast' variations.