Junk Food Nation, today is National Junk Food Day!  The greatest day of the year!  Ok, admission: I didn’t know it was National junk Food Day until someone texted me that it was.  And does National Junk Food Day mean anything? I mean, every single day for me is National Junk Food Day.  When your “day” doesn’t even have a full standalone wiki page…you know it’s pretty meaningless.

But hey – National Junk Food Day! Where’s the free swag, Pepsi?  Where’s the free chips, Frito-Lay?  How about some food gratis, Wendy’s??  But no.  Man, National Junk Food Day is sort of a drag.  Does anyone out there see any deals associated with National Junk Food Day?  No? Bummer.

I’ll have to remember July 21 next year.  I refuse to let another National Junk Food Day go by without SOME form of celebration!  Maybe I’ll throw a bunch of Cheetos in the air and dance in the orange rain. Or maybe I’ll wash my face in ice cream this afternoon.  I mean, YOU TELL ME, Junk Food Nation. How would YOU celebrate National Junk Food Day?  Tell me in the comments below.

But hey, there also happens to be a new Nosh Show episode out today! The Nosh Show is a podcast that I do with three other food reviewers. What better way to start off an uneventful National Junk Food Day, right? So bring on THE NOSH SHOW EPISODE 34:

This week, “we gab about Chocodile Twinkies, Chocomallow Sundae Pop-Tarts, Sprite Blast, a huge cookie from Pizza Hut, Lay’s Cappuccino Potato Chips, and the rest of the 2014 Lay’s Do Us A Flavor finalists.”  Listen embedded here:

You can subscribe to The Nosh Show using various services: iTunes, Stitcher, Swell app, TuneIn, RSS, or, you can also download the episode.

TODAY’S JUNK FOOD: Mountain Dew Solar Flare!

We discussed Mountain Dew Solar Flare on Episode 31 of the Nosh Show, and with 7-11 still pushing out promos for 7-ELEVEN WEEK, I decided this would be a good time to check it out. I don’t know if you noticed from reading this blog, Junk Food Nation, but I’m really not a huge soda drinker.  That’s one of the only ways I’m not truly unhealthy – yes cookies chips candy ice cream pastries crackers etc., but I tend to stay away from soda.  And trust me – I LOVE IT. But I just don’t drink it that often.

As part of that admission, I also haven’t tried the numerous varieties of Mountain Dew that exist.  I was spoiled in my first job out of college that the work fridge was CONSTANTLY STOCKED with Mountain Dew Code Red, and I kind of Dew-overdosed.  It’s been a while since I tried a new Dew flavor, is my point.

But Mountain Dew Solar Flare is new, and it’s a 7-11 soda fountain exclusive, so why not?  This flavor is described as “DEW with a blast of Tropical Punch.”  Sidenote: it’s been a while since I’ve been to a Big Gulp machine.  The pricing was really interesting: A Gulp was $1.19. A Big Gulp was $0.99.  A Super Big Gulp was $1.69?

Big, bigger, biggest….let’s go with the Super Big Gulp. Who doesn’t need 41 oz of refreshment?

Well, I must say – 7-11 has the soda machine technology DOWN. The soda came rocketing out of the spigot into my cup and filled the entire thing in like 5 seconds flat.  WOW.  Modern miracle.

This 41 oz of Mountain Dew Solar Flare in a Super Big Gulp cup almost broke my wrist. I don’t know who needs this much liquid.  I felt like I was carrying an Olympic Torch.

I like how they make the bottom of the cup still small enough to fit into a cup holder.  I could tip this thing over with a finger and flood the inside of my car like Mount Vesuvius.

As soon as I opened the cup of Mountain Dew Solar Flare, I could smell….fruit punch?  Smelled pretty good. Time for sip.

You know, it’s been a while since I’ve had a Mountain Dew flavor variety, and I can honestly say that I really liked this Mountain Dew Solar Flare!

Now, don’t get it twisted – it still tastes like a cup of carbonated corn syrup to me, but there are aspects to this soda that were really appealing.  For one, the sweetness of the drink wasn’t as cloying as I would’ve expected.  My first impression of this drink was that it tasted like fruit punch and ginger ale mixed together. Or like Hawaiian Punch and seltzer.  In other words, it tasted like tropical punch that had been slightly diluted with soda water…so the overwhelming sweetness was cut down to manageable levels.

The flavor of the drink itself was indeed tropical punch-esque – like a nice fruit punch, maybe with a little bit more citrus aftertaste. On a super hot day, I could see how a big icy glass of this stuff would be very refreshing.  Not bad, 7-11.

PURCHASED AT: 7-11…or is it 7-eleven?

COST: Regular price is $1.50 for the Super Big Gulp

Thoughts? Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. I also have Google+!! Let’s hang out.

Sincerely,

Junk Food Guy