Surge
A discontinued citrus-flavored soda from the late 1990s.
Origin
The United States, launched by Coca-Cola in 1997 (after an earlier 1996 Norwegian debut as "Urge") as a direct competitor to PepsiCo's Mountain Dew.
History
Coca-Cola developed Surge under the internal codename "MDK" ("Mountain Dew Killer"), launching it first in Norway in 1996 as Urge before bringing it to the U.S. in 1997 with a $50 million marketing campaign built around extreme sports and a Super Bowl XXXI ad debut, mimicking Mountain Dew's neon-green color and high-caffeine positioning almost exactly. Despite the aggressive launch, sales collapsed quickly and Coca-Cola discontinued it by 2003, though a persistent online fan community eventually convinced the company to briefly revive it for sale via Amazon in 2014.
Flavor profile
Bright, sweet citrus flavor with high caffeine content, very similar to Mountain Dew.
Tasting notes
Nearly indistinguishable from Mountain Dew in flavor and intensity, a bold, syrupy citrus soda with a notable caffeine kick, functioning as an interchangeable substitute wherever a recipe calls for either.
Substitutes
- Mountain Dew, for the nearly identical flavor profile Surge was originally designed to copy.
- A different high-caffeine citrus soda, for a comparably bold, energetic mixer.
- Lemon-lime soda with added caffeine (like a caffeinated sparkling water), as an approximation.
Common cocktails