“Dirty soda” may not be a particularly appetizing name for a beverage, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a growing trend in American food culture.
For the uninitiated, a dirty soda is a fountain drink that has been flavored with additional syrup, juice, fruit puree, or cream. Some have compared it to a mocktail, as it is an alcohol-free drink with various flavor options.
The term “dirty soda” was trademarked in 2010 by the soft drink shop Swig, based in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, and the concept was quickly seized upon by similar ventures, including Thirst, FiiZ, Quench It!, and Sodalicious. Many Utah gas stations also offer make-your-own dirty sodas.
More recently, the dirty soda has gained national recognition, largely thanks to social media and the Hulu reality TV series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The cast members frequently order their favorite dirty sodas (sometimes in sizes as large as 44 ounces) from Swig drive-thrus and other soda shops in the Salt Lake City area.
Although it has fans far beyond Utah, the dirty soda concept makes sense in the Mormon context, as alcohol and coffee are considered off-limits by most church members. Interestingly, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated in 2012 that caffeinated soft drinks were acceptable, though moderation is encouraged.
Swig is currently expanding nationwide, and other Utah-style soda shops have begun appearing in various U.S. states. The Sonic Drive-In fast food chain now has a dirty soda menu, while Dr Pepper and CoffeeMate have a creamer designed to mix with soda. Of course, much of the appeal of dirty sodas comes from how customizable they are, and there are countless combinations of soda and creamy, fruity additions that you can make at home, though without the Utah drive-through experience.
Soda, but make it dirty:
- Swig’s signature drink, dubbed “The Founder” after Swig founder Nicole Tanner, consists of Diet Coke, cream, sugar-free coconut syrup, and a squeeze of lime. "Bloody Wild," another popular dirty soda, is made with Mountain Dew and strawberry and mango purees.
- There are plenty of ways to enjoy a dirty soda without caffeine or added sugar, such as using a base of carbonated water and adding fruit puree or sugar-free syrup.
- The dirty soda is far from the only drink to combine a carbonated beverage with dairy. For example, the classic New York concoction known as an egg cream is made with carbonated water, milk, and chocolate syrup, while doodh soda, popular in India and Pakistan, consists of lemon-lime soda and milk. Milkis, a sweet combination of milk and carbonated water, has been popular in South Korea for decades. Pepsi has even encouraged customers to combine the soda with milk to create “pilk.”
