What Is Dirty Soda?

From the rise of fizzy prebiotic drinks to the comeback of Diet Coke, sodas seem to be more popular than ever. At the heart of this cultural shift are a new wave of soda shops. These are far removed from the days of soda jerks in striped vests who prepared egg creams and banana splits. Modern soda shops are more like trendy fast-food joints. You can walk in or go to a drive-through window and order off an enormous menu designed around popular brands like Coke, Sprite, Dr Pepper, or original creations. 

Popular chains like Swig, Sodalicious, and Fiiz are at the forefront of the movement. These shops embody a trend toward custom drinks across everything from viral Starbucks creations to elaborate syrup combinations at Dunkin’. But one trend in particular has been the domain of these new soda fountains: dirty soda.

What are dirty sodas?

While there’s no exact definition, it’s understood that dirty soda is one that’s mixed or topped with syrup, juice, or cream. Most soda shops have a menu full of combinations, similar to how a Starbucks has specialty drinks and seasonal items. 

For example, Swig, the most popular soda shop in the country, offers choices like Dirty Dr Pepper (Dr Pepper with coconut syrup), Island Time (Fresca with passionfruit syrup, fresh orange, mango puree, and coconut cream), or for the autumn season, Cinnamon Cider (ginger ale with lemonade, cinnamon syrup, apple syrup, and a cinnamon stick). 

You can also create your own soda. Pick a base, your desired amount of ice (almost always the crunchy pebble variety), and your add-ons. A flavored syrup or juice will add an extra layer of taste, while half-and-half, heavy cream, or coconut cream will give the drink heft and viscosity. 

When were dirty sodas invented?

It’s believed that Nicole Tanner, founder of Swig, coined the term “dirty soda.” Tanner got the idea for Swig through her love of Diet Coke with lime from Sonic. “Though we loved it, sometimes the drive-thru wait was long, and our cups would smell like onions or be greasy,” she wrote in a story for Utah Business in 2022. “I knew there had to be a better way to get our drink fix with friendly customer service and an exceptional product. So why not create a drive-thru drink business that had all of that?” 

In 2010, Tanner opened the first Swig location in St. George, Utah, with a menu of innovative soda creations that included the Dirty Dr Pepper. 

“People thought it was the coolest thing that they could make their Dr Pepper drink ‘dirty,’” she says. By 2013, Tanner noticed that similar soda shops begun to pop up around Utah that also offered Dirty Dr Pepper. “We knew we had originated that term, so we got a Utah and a federal trademark so that ‘dirty soda’ belonged to Swig.”

When rival chain Sodalicious referred to its added flavor shots as “dirty,” Swig sued for trademark infringement. Sodalicious maintains that “dirty” is too generic to be trademarked, as its colloquially used in cocktails and in tea, such as when an espresso shot is added to a chai latte. 

The case was settled, and Sodalicious no longer uses the term. Yet, over the last decade, “dirty soda” became mainstream, thanks to social media, Olivia Rodrigo, and some influential Mormon moms.

Why is dirty soda so popular on TikTok?

Though dirty sodas predate TikTok, where it’s most visible, the trend really got moving in 2021 when pop star Olivia Rodrigo posted a photo to Instagram holding a Swig cup. The hashtag, #dirtysodas, went viral, and hundreds of thousands of creators documented their experiences taste-testing dirty sodas, either at local shops or at home. Today, the hashtag has more than 14,300 videos on TikTok. 

Dirty soda reached a new peak in September, as it was featured in the Hulu original unscripted series, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. In episode five, several of the show’s stars explain the role that soda shops play in the Latter-day Saints community. “Utah is like land of the Mormon bar, which are all the soda shops that we have,” says Jessi Ngatikaura. “There’s one on every corner.”

“We don’t drink alcohol or do drugs, so it’s kind of our vice,” says Demi Engemann. Many viewers attempted to recreate the Mormon wives’ favorite dirty sodas, like Demi’s 44-ounce sparkling water with sugar-free coconut, sugar-free vanilla, sugar-free raspberry, sugar-free pineapple, and coconut cream; or Layla Taylor’s 44-ounce Bloody Wild (a Swig creation with Mountain Dew, mango puree, and strawberry puree), plus coconut cream. 

“Six out of seven days of the week I have at least one 44-ounce soda,” says Taylor. “I’m probably only going to live till like, 50, but it makes me happy.”

Where to get dirty soda?

What once only existed in Utah has expanded rapidly around the country. The most popular chains, Swig and Fiiz, now feature more than 60 combined locations across a dozen-plus states. Although outlets are spread primarily across Western states, they have slowly trickled east, with locations in Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, Mississippi and beyond. 

Outside of the established chains, smaller soda concepts are popping up across the country. Cool Sips, for example, opened its first location in New York City’s Rockefeller Center earlier this year, and a second location debuted in the city’s South Street Seaport area a few months later. These shops may have a more limited menu than the big chains, but they can provide a first-hand, dirty-soda experience.

How to make dirty soda at home

There are really no rules to dirty soda, so it’s easy to make one at home. Add a splash of half-and-half and a squeeze of lime to your Diet Coke, or maybe some coconut cream and guava puree to your Fresca. A new line of retail products are designed for dirty sodas, such as Coffee Mate’s Coconut Lime Liquid Creamer, advertised to be mixed with Dr Pepper.

Dirty sodas have limitless possibilities, so you’re bound to land on at least one combination that works for you. And if the idea of mixing creamer in soda is a turn-off, don’t worry. Regular soda still exists and is just as delicious as ever.