“Baja Blast has consistently sparked creativity, defied expectations, and continues to be a cornerstone of the Taco Bell experience,” said Taylor Montgomery, chief marketing officer at Taco Bell, in a press release announcing Baja Midnight. Okay, calm down, Taylor. But yeah, I’ll grant you that people like Baja Blast and your newly released passionfruit-infused variation of the soda is pretty dang good.
While that press release quote is filled with buzzwords and exaggerations, it is indeed true that the blue tropical spin on Mountain Dew known as Baja Blast has been a part of Taco Bell’s menu for 20 years and is a certified fan favorite that keeps people coming back to the Tex-Mex fast food chain. Given its popularity, it almost feels dangerous for Taco Bell to tinker with that beloved drink. Rarely do things go well when you start messing around with something as old and beloved as Baja Blast. But I’m glad someone did because Mountain Dew Baja Midnight, a new soda that will be available exclusively at Taco Bell, is a tasty spin on one of my favorite sodas. And hey, if you hate it, Baja Blast is still being sold at Taco Bell, too.
I visited my local Taco Bell on August 14, the day Baja Midnight was released. Pulling up to the drive-thru thru I was greeted by large signs announcing the arrival of Baja Midnight. The signs were all purple and showed off the new soda, which is also purple. In the press release for the drink, Montgomery called it “Taco Bell purple.” Sure, why not?
We pulled up to the drive-thru, I checked in with my app (Yeah, I’m a real Taco Bell sicko) and ordered some food and two big cups of Midnight. They were very purple, as purple and vibrant as the posters and PR images promise. I thought to myself, “Should a human being consume something so unnaturally colored and vibrant?” and then remembered I’ve been drinking energy drinks and eating at Taco Bell for decades now. If that hasn’t killed me, a weirdly purple soda won’t do it.
I took my first big sip of Midnight after eating some Taco Bell goodness, and at first, I thought I was just drinking Baja Blast. The new soda is just as sweet and tropical-y as the OG version. Was this some strange prank Taco Bell execs were playing on customers? But a moment later, my taste buds detected the passionfruit flavor. It wasn’t very strong, and I imagine folks who love passionfruit will be disappointed by how subtle it is. For me, it worked quite well. Baja Blast is a perfect soda to pair with Taco Bell’s burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. I was worried that Midnight would ruin that combo. Instead, the subtle passionfruit just offers a new way to experience Baja Blast.
In the future, I’ll still continue to order Baja Blast, but I expect that on some trips to Taco Bell, I’ll want to shake things up and Baja Midnight will be there waiting for me, offering up an ever-so-slightly tartier and sweeter spin on the OG drink. So good job, Taylor Montgomery, chief marketing officer at Taco Bell, and everyone else involved. You didn’t ruin Baja Blast and made some nice. Congrats. Now add chips to the Cantina Chicken Bowl, please.