Hillbilly Soda Cans
 |
 |
 |
This month I am show-casing some pop cans rather than beer cans. I have a couple small sub-collections of soda cans--Bicentential Cans from 1976 and cans with a Hillbilly theme. Here are the 3 of the cans I have from the latter group.
History of Mountain Dew
There are a number of really good websites with a history of this particular soft drink. I don't want to steal their material so please visit Coke Girl's site which has a nice brief history of the brand. Also, check the sites listed below under "Sources Used."
|
 |
I dumped this Mt. Dew flat as a kid, so it's one of the few cans from my original collection that I still have.
 |
Here is a close-up of the mountaineer from the label. He' shooting at another man running away. |
 |
The mountaineer from the side of the can along with Mountain Dew's 1960s slogan. |
The Hillbilly as Icon
I am still writing this section and it may take awhile. Those interested in the history of hillbilly imagery should check the following sources:
Harkins, Anthony. Hillbilly: A Cultural History of an American Icon (Oxford, 2004)
Williamson, J.W. Hillbillyland: What the Movies Did to the Mountains and What the Mountains Did to the Movies. (University of North Carolina Press, 1995)
_____________ Southern Mountaineers in Silent Films. (McFarland, 1994)
 |
Hill Billy Soda Cans
There have been several soda brands that used the hillbilly/moonshine theme. I found the following examples in "Collectible Soda Cans, 2007" by Dave Tanner.
| Brand | Maker | Flavor | When | Label Design |
| Moonshine | Faygo | Citrus | 1963 | Hillbilly with can |
| Hugajug Dew | Hugajug | Citrus | 1963 | Sleeping hillbilly |
| Mountain Dew | Mountain Dew | Citrus | 1964 | Shooting Hillbilly |
| Mountain Dew | Tip Corp. | Citrus | 1964 | Shooting Hillbilly |
| Mountain Dew | Mountain Dew | Citrus | 1964 | all aluminum, shooting hillbilly |
| White Light-nin | White Lightnin' | Citrus | 1965 | lighting bolt |
| Moonshine | Faygo | Citrus | 1973 | Hillbilly w/ glass |
| Hill Billy | Hill Billy | Strawberry | 1979 | red can w/ Hillbilly |
| Hill Billy | Hill Billy | Grape | 1979 | purple? w/ hillbilly |
| Hill Billy | Hill Billy | Orange | 1979 | orange? w/ hillbilly |
| Hill Billy | Hill Billy | Citrus | 1979 | green w/ hillbilly |
| Hill Billy Joose | Hill Billy | Citrus | 1979 | hillbilly w/jug |
| Hill Billy Joose | Hill Billy | Citrus | 1980 | brown jug |
| Home Brew | Home Brew | Citrus | 1978 | white/red/green, reclining hillbilly, Winchester, VA |
| Hugajug Dew | Hug A Jug | Citrus | 1967 | sleeping hillbilly |
| Mountain Dew | Mountain Dew | Citrus | 1966 | shooting hillbilly |
| Mountain Dew | Mountain Dew | Citrus | 1974 | "Yahoo" no hillbilly |
| Mountain Dew | Mountain Dew | Citrus | 1978 | no hillbilly |
| Mountain Dew Sugar Free | Mountain Dew | Citrus | 1980 | red, no hillbilly |
| White Light-nin | White Lightnin' | Citrus | 1979 | outline of lighting bolt |
| Mountain Dew | Mountain Dew | Citrus | 1960 | 10 oz, Canadian |
Sources Used
Websites: (links open new window)
Mountain Dew Official Site
Dew Collector.com (Accessed in 2007, site no longer exists)
Mountain Dew, a collector's page (warning, Angelfire page so there will be pop-ups.)
Books/Articles
(These links each open a new window with that book's Amazon page)
Harkins, Anthony. Hillbilly: A Cultural History of an American Icon (Oxford, 2004)
Williamson, J.W. Hillbillyland: What the Movies Did to the Mountains and What the Mountains Did to the Movies. (University of North Carolina Press, 1995)
_____________ Southern Mountaineers in Silent Films. (McFarland, 1994)
