Mug Root Beer Teams up With NFL Star for ‘Absurd' New Collab
Mug Root Beer is ready to help fans get those gains this summer.
In an "absurd" twist on the poppin' "dirty soda" and "proteinmaxxing" trends, the PepsiCo soft drink brand (which is consistently rated among the best) has tapped San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle to be the face of its new creation: Mug Brotein.
"As a professional athlete, protein tracking comes with the territory, but I'm also a longtime MUG Root Beer fan who will never give up my float. MUG Brotein is the best of both worlds," Kittle teased in a statement. "The most absurd thing about it is that I didn't do it sooner."
This isn't some promotional stint, either. Mug Brotein is a real recipe and it's heading out just in time for peak GTL season-but probably not in the way that you'd expect.
MUG Root Beer Teams Up With George Kittle for New Protein Beverage
"MUG has always been for the fans who have that dawg in them," Michael Smith, vice president of marketing at MUG Root Beer, explained. "Teaming up with George Kittle to drop MUG Brotein lets us unleash that big dawg energy in fit season-creating a gainz hack that's as fun as it is delicious."
Related: MUG Root Beer Fans Are Beyond ‘Stoked' About Its New Soda Flavor
Instead of launching a Mug Root Beer-flavored protein beverage, the soda company is using its already beloved Mug Zero Sugar as the base of the recipe. Consumers are instructed to pour the soda into a shaker bottle (or larger cup) before mixing in a serving of vanilla protein beverage. After some steady mixing, voila! Mug Brotein.
And if you asked MUG's mascot, Dog, he would say, "Dis one is for all da dawgz that werk hard fur da gainz. Lift heavy. Sip MUG Brotein. Get sumthin to flex abut."
Where Will MUG Brotein Be Available?
The new recipe is launching as part of a special, limited-edition bundle available exclusively on Walmart.com beginning today (Tuesday, April 21) for $24.99, with a second drop heading to the official MUG Root Beer TikTok Shop next Tuesday (April 28), but only while supplies last.
The "dirty protein" remix bundles include a branded gym bag, muscle tee, a gym towel, sweatbands, a shaker bottle for all the MUG Brotein you could make, a can of Zero Sugar MUG Root Beer, and a vanilla-flavored protein shake (which packs 40grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar, and 6 grams of fiber).
If the bundles have sold out by the time you're reading this, fear not. Everything you need to make MUG Brotein can be found at retailers like Albertsons and Kroger, where displays for MUG Zero Sugar and vanilla protein shakes will be set up in stores. Fans can also shop the ingredients online via Walmart and Instacart (prices may vary).
What do you think? Is this the next evolution of dirty sodas and protein shakes, genius or just wild? Let us know in the comments!
Next: Mountain Dew Is Getting a Fresh New Look for Summer 2026
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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 6:13 AM.