Mountain Dew Is Making a Hot Sauce With NBA All-Star Joel Embiid

Mountain Dew is expanding its product line far beyond the reaches of the soda universe. Earlier this month, the beverage-maker announced a new deal with Red Lobster for the DEWgarita, the first Dew-flavored alcoholic beverage officially developed by the company. Now, believe it or not, the Dew crew is aiming for the top of the sauce boss charts. Announced Monday, Mountain Dew has partnered with NBA All-star Joel Embiid and hot sauce retailer iBurn to develop a limited-edition Mountain Dew hot sauce.

In a poll launched on the brand's Twitter Monday afternoon, Mountain Dew announced it was letting fans of the soda choose the base flavor for the concoction, with four heat options availalble — Peri-Peri, Fatalii, Habanero, and Datil. Out of the peppers on the list, Fatalii peppers are by and large the hottest peppers the company is offering, with Fatalii fruits coming in anywhere from 125,00 to 325,000 scoville units (SHU). In comparison, your avearage jalapeño hovers between 2,500 to 10,000 SHU.

#DEWnation: it’s time to fire up your taste buds with an explosion of the DEW flavor you know and love. We’re partnering with @JoelEmbiid 🔥🔥🔥 and sauce experts @iBurn to release a limited edition MTN DEW Hot Sauce. Help us choose the flavor - voting ends September 30th.

— Mountain Dew® (@MountainDew) September 28, 2020

The heat then trickles down to the habanero, Datil, and Peri-Peri. Even at their hottest, Peri-Peri peppers tend to top out around 175,000 SHU. As the Twitter poll mentions, voting ends at the end of the month.

In case you thought this was some sort of early April Fools' Joke, it's not. ComicBook.com has confirmed with the company this poll is 100-percent legitimate and a Mountain Dew hot sauce will be here before you know it.

When Dew announced the DEWGarita earlier this month, PepsiCo exec Hugh Roth said it was only the beginning of a relationship between the company in Red Lobster, hinting they were already working on more outside-the-box products. As it turns out, those unique products aren't just exclusive to the seafood chain.

"Red Lobster and PepsiCo both understand how much food and beverages enhance memorable moments, from casual gatherings with friends to milestone celebrations," Roth said in a release at the time. "With both of our brands on deck to wow guests, we can't wait to dream up more phenomenal flavor pairings together to bring some very special offerings and experiences to the table."