MARION, Va. (WJHL) – Where is the birthplace of Mountain Dew? It’s a controversial topic if you ask people in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, but to the people of Marion, Virginia, the answer is clear.
“I find pride in it. I’m proud of my town and all the accomplishments that have happened here and are going to happen here,” said Kurt Summers Creasy.
Creasy said there’s no question about it: Marion is the birthplace of Mountain Dew.
It matters significantly to him because he holds a unique title in the town.
“I’m the Mountain Dew chugging champion. Three years in a row, I’m the only one who’s won the competition since it started,” he said.
He said it only takes him a minute and 27 seconds to down two liters of the iconic citrus soda. It’s something he’s been doing since his youth.
“I fell in love with the taste of it as soon as it hit my mouth. I was hooked on it for years,” he said.
If you’re wondering why Marion claims the creation of the soft drink, Mayor David Helms has the answer.
“The gentleman Bill Jones acquired the recipe and reformulated it,” Helms said. “He added different ingredients, citrus juices, and things and I understand he would bring it down to the drugstore in town and let his friends sample it before bringing it back home and redoing it. The important thing to me is that he sold that recipe to Pepsi Cola and he got the money for it.”
There’s a plaque in the downtown area recognizing Marion as the home of Mountain Dew.
The people who live there take great pride in this accomplishment.
“It’s a great thing for the Town of Marion to be known as the home of Mountain Dew, and I know other people claim it, but their accomplishments weren’t as great and the success was here in Marion, so that’s what we’re proud of,” said Helms.
