You can order a Diet Coke with a slice of lime anywhere, but what about a Diet Coke with lime juice, coconut syrup and coconut cream? Unless you are at a soda shop that serves one of these trendy drinks, you may wind up with a dirty look instead of a dirty soda.
Dirty sodas -- sodas with flavorful add-ins -- have been popping up on social media and TV for years. Just about anything is fair game, but the most popular additions are flavored syrups, half-and-half cream and fruit purees.
You can now order some of these creations at shops nationwide, but that wasn't always the case. Before all of the hype, they were quietly sipped by residents in one small city.
It came from the West
Utah is famous for many things, but perhaps it's best known as being the home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For the faithful, being Mormon comes with a few dietary restrictions, mainly the requirement to abstain from coffee, tea and alcohol. Soda, however, is allowed.
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Nicole Tanner, a Mormon mother of five, had a plan to make soda more exciting. Drawing on her passion for Diet Coke with lime and her frustration with the poor service at her local fast food drive-thru, she decided to open Swig in 2010 in St. George, Utah. Tanner told Nation's Restaurant News that she wanted to "create an amazing experience with a superior product and make people feel special in that drive-thru line."
A spike in popularity
According to a report by The Food Institute, searches for dirty sodas on Yelp last year jumped more than 600% from 2023. That's a lot of momentum, and social media was one of the major driving forces behind the increased interest.
TikTok creators post thousands of dirty soda recipes and reviews, and they've become so mainstream through social media that a major soft drink company attempted to capitalize on the trend. In 2022, Pepsi aired a "Pilk and Cookies" ad featuring a Santa outfit-clad Lindsay Lohan making a dirty soda. Dirty sodas also have been featured on the popular TV show "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives."
More stores popping up
The concept may have begun in the mountain states, but soda shops with similar menus have spread nationwide. Some are franchises of Utah chains and others are independent startups.
Low overhead and high profit margins help make dirty soda shops an attractive business venture, boosted by social media popularity and overall changes in drinking habits. With fewer young people choosing to drink alcohol, according to Gallup, the market for exciting and customizable drinks is expanding. While coffee shops can satisfy this craving for personalized beverages, dirty soda shops offer seemingly endless combinations to try.
Make your own dirty soda
Making dirty sodas at home is easy. Whether you plan to mix up a few for yourself or want to add a DIY dirty soda bar to your next event, there's not much to it. You'll need soda, syrup, citrus, something creamy and ice.
Everything starts with the soda. A few bottles or cans of sodas like regular or Diet Coke, Dr Pepper and Sprite are likely all you need.
Coconut syrup is a must, and vanilla and cherry syrups give you options for experimentations. For example, Sonic's popular Ocean Water soda is made with coconut syrup. Chains like Swig and Sodalicious use Torani-brand syrups, but you can use your favorite brand.
Sugar-free or low-calorie options are great for those looking to keep the calorie counts lower for these concoctions. Or try making your own syrups at home.
Half-and-half and coconut cream give many dirty sodas their rich flavor and are worthwhile ingredients to have on hand. You might also want to pick up a bag of fresh limes to help balance out the richness of the dairy.
Don't forget the ice. For the most authentic experience, many dirty soda shops use pebble ice, but crushed ice also will work.
Each soda shop has its signature recipes, such as The Founder from Swig -- a mix of Diet Coke, lime, coconut syrup and coconut cream -- or Sodalicious' AK Special, made with Dr Pepper, coconut syrup and vanilla syrup.
You can find hundreds of dirty soda recipes online, but a great place to start is with easy-to-make classics, such as "Dirty Dr Pepper" or cherry limeade.
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