‘Dirty Soda’ Is the New TikTok Beverage Trend We’re Actually Down to Try

It used to be that the most rebellious beverage an underaged person could drink was a Suicide: every single flavor at the soda fountain, mixed together. Now, kids have a crazy new twist on carbonated beverages, and it’s called the Dirty Soda.

According to Today, the drink is akin to “a cross between a Shirley Temple and an egg cream. A root beer float with melted ice cream. A cream soda made with actual cream.” It consists of your choice of soda, cream, fruit, and flavored syrup.

@swigdrinks Don’t hate it… just try it! #dirtysoda #swig #swigdrinks #johnnydepp #heartstopper #mothersday #bee #utahcheck #sodaluv ♬ Crazy – Patsy Cline

Even more surprising than the myriad flavor combinations you can come up with is the backstory behind the Dirty Soda.

See, it originates in Utah, a state mostly unremarkable except for its large population of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). According to their religious doctrine, followers must forgo hot drinks like coffee and tea. But in 2012, the church pointed out that caffeine wasn’t anathema, so LDS members started drinking cola in droves. Soon, Dirty Soda was born, and tons of soda shops popped up in Utah to quench the thirst of believers. Many of them even poke fun at the dirty soda’s holier-than-thou origins.

Swig is one such drive-through soda establishment. Its menu features a drink dubbed “The Founder” (Diet Coke, sugar-free coconut, fresh lime and coconut cream). Another soda shop, Sodalicious, boasts dirty sodas called “2nd Wife” (Mountain Dew, fruit syrups, with a shot of half-and-half) and “Sugar Daddy” (Mountain Dew with raspberry, mango, pineapple, vanilla, and half-and-half).

But it wasn’t until pop star Olivia Rodrigo was caught on camera with a Dirty Soda that the trend really exploded.

 

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Yeah, she makes us thirsty, too, but the internet took it kind of literally. There are now over 1.3 million views on the TikTok hashtag #dirtysoda.

So go ahead, whip up your own Dirty Soda or swing by a soda shop for a sip. And do so knowing that the wrath of God won’t befall you when you do.

Cover Photo: TikTok