Hard Mountain Dew is offering $1 million to the first person who can submit verified proof that Bigfoot exists. The alcoholic beverage brand launched its Bigfoot Bounty contest on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, and U.S. residents 21 and older have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 30 to enter at HardDewBigfootBounty.com, according to a GlobeNewswire press release and the official contest page. Hypefresh has covered similar viral Bigfoot-sighting stories in the past, but this one comes with a seven-figure bounty attached.
Entrants must provide a written personal account of an encounter, limited to 400 words, along with evidence that satisfies at least four of seven specific criteria. Per the official contest page, those criteria are: a footprint measuring between 37 and 38.5 inches long and pressed into dirt; a 13-inch handprint with distinct shape and unusual characteristics; thermal imaging of a seven- to nine-foot heat signature moving 20 to 25 mph through dense forest; hair samples containing unknown DNA markers; an audio recording of unexplained sounds consistent with reported Bigfoot activity; environmental remnants with no visible machinery or storm damage nearby; or a photo that appears to show the creature itself. Submissions that include blurry photos, man-made footprints, costumes, AI-generated images or other inconclusive material will not qualify for the top prize under the stated standards.
Evidence will be judged against standards co-developed with Bryce Johnson, the actor, producer and Bigfoot researcher known for starring in and producing the Travel Channel series Expedition Bigfoot. Johnson also co-creates the podcast Bigfoot Collectors Club and starred in the 2013 Bobcat Goldthwait film Willow Creek, according to his biography. He has been obsessed with Bigfoot since childhood.
“Hard Mountain Dew has always been about chasing bold experiences, and Bigfoot Bounty takes that mindset to the next level,” said Erica Taylor, senior brand director for Hard Mountain Dew at the Boston Beer Company, per the GlobeNewswire release. “Every fall, someone’s got a story of a shape in the trees or a sound they can’t explain. Whether you catch Bigfoot or just catch a good story trying, there’s nothing better than an ice-cold Hard Mountain Dew at the end of the hunt.” Taylor also oversees marketing for Twisted Tea and has steered Hard Mountain Dew through a series of deliberately absurd campaigns. Past efforts have included an Adweek-covered campaign to lure aliens into abducting cases of the drink and a WFAA-covered Change.org petition asking the town of Dew, Texas, to rename itself “Hard Dew, Texas.”
The timing coincides with peak fall outdoor season for hiking, hunting and camping, when reported Bigfoot sightings traditionally rise. It also follows a brief media flurry in early September 2026 in Damariscotta, Maine, where multiple calls about a Sasquatch-like figure prompted police to investigate. The Boston Globe, NBC Boston and Boston.com all covered the case. The local police department, after what it called a “lengthy, exhaustive, and completely serious investigation,” determined that Bigfoot is not real. “Just a guy in a very convincing costume,” the department’s post concluded. “Case closed. Bigfoot remains at large provided he puts his costume back on.” Boston.com carried the full police statement alongside the Boston Globe and NBC Boston.
Official contest rules include a footnote on the $1 million prize: “Our lawyers made us say this: The $1M Grand Prize requires actual, verified proof that Bigfoot exists. Hard Mountain Dew doesn’t have any additional evidence that he’s out there beyond speculation — but don’t let that stop you from having a little fun and give it your best shot!” The footnote is also a snapshot of where Bigfoot mythology stands in 2026. A March 2026 documentary, Capturing Bigfoot, directed by Marq Evans, according to People, brought forward new information arguing that the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin footage — the most famous Bigfoot video ever recorded — was a hoax. The Skeptical Inquirer covered the documentary’s debunking findings the same month. Other Hypefresh pieces have covered the broader cryptozoology beat, including the legend of Maryland’s Goatman and the recent Malaga viral hoax in which a Spanish taxi driver’s claim about a “90-year-old billionaire” was exposed.
Judges will select the top 100 entries based on originality, creativity, integration of the brand and overall impression. Those 100 winners will each receive $20 in cash, the approximate cost of a pack of Hard Mountain Dew. The sponsor of record is Green Rebel Brewing Company, operating from One Design Center Place in Boston. No purchase is required to enter. Hard Mountain Dew is a collaboration between the Boston Beer Company and PepsiCo, launched in 2021, that markets a 5% ABV citrus-flavored malt beverage as a bold extension of the original Mountain Dew soft drink’s outdoor image, per CNBC and trade press at the time of the launch.
Hard Mountain Dew’s Bigfoot Bounty is the latest in a growing list of brand-stunt contests built around legendary creatures and conspiracy theories. Whether anyone claims the seven-figure prize will depend on whether someone actually submits evidence that satisfies the four-of-seven criteria — something that, given the state of the evidence in 2026, is the longest of long shots. The contest runs through November 30, with the top 100 winners announced sometime after.
