I drive an 18 wheeler, sometimes 10 hours a day. My 'day' start around 10 at night and ends when I get back home 12 hours later. I need something-legal-than can help me stay awake and alert.

Mountain Dew Soda

Those little 12 ounce cans aren't going to do me much good, with only about as much caffeine, 55 mg, as an average cuppa joe. When it's hot outside I'll alternate with Gator Ade or bottled water and do the Dew. A frosty quart, or um, 1 liter bottle, lasts me 5 or 6 good swigs and goes down real smooth.

The taste is good, citrus, slightly sweet. My Other Half says she can taste the bitterness of the added caffeine, but I can't. Just tastes like a nicely flavored soda to me and the ingredients are pretty basic too.

There's carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, (gets a lot of flack, supposedly puts on the pounds), orange and other natural flavors, citric acid and caffeine are the main ingredients plus a few preservatives and conditioners. I noticed Yellow Number 5 is listed, and some folks are sensitive to that like Red Number 5.

Each quart packs 440 Calories, similar to Sprite, Coke and Pepsi. If that's an issue the diet kind is pretty tasty as well. I find Mountain Dew really helps me function on the job but I do seem to get headaches if I go a day or too without any caffeine, so there may be a rebound effect.

I recommend this as a refreshing beverage and good and legal way to help stay awake when studying, driving or just needed that little edge.

Recommended: Yes