How Two Mainers Turned A Soda Trick Into A Viral Sensation

In the early 2000s, the science of dropping Mentos mints into bottles of diet soda was a phenomenon across the country. So much so that two men from Maine created a company to tour with this experiment. One of those stops was on Late Night With David Letterman in 2006.

Stephen Voltz and Fritz Grobe Met in Maine

Stephen Voltz and Fritz Grober met in 2000 at the Celebration Barn Theater in South Paris, Maine, which just so happens to be the town I grew up in. The theater was founded in the early 70s by mime artist Tony Montanero and is still operational today as a place to learn how to perform.

Extreme Diet Coke & Mentos Experiments

Voltz and Grober started conducting the experiment of dropping Mentos into a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke, and made a show out of it. Touring across the country in their lab coats, setting off exploding soda on a grand scale. The videos went viral, and that allowed them to create the entertainment company Eepybrid. For 20 years, the video has remained viral with over 60 million views and is still counting.

The Late Show with David Letterman

They grabbed more attention when someone on the staff of The Late Show with David Letterman saw the video and asked them to come to New York and set off an explosion of Diet Coke on 53rd Street behind the Ed Sullivan Theater, where the show was taped.

They teamed up with Mentos and Coca-Cola, who were both more than happy to get involved by providing them with 122 2-liter bottles of Diet Coke and 646 Mentos.

This is the result:

Spectacular! And it all began here in Maine.

READ MORE: Love Moxie? Here's How You Can Impress Other Mainers and Make Some at Home