Dirty Soda has its origin in Utah with the Mormon faith, but it has exploded into popularity within the last decade. The history of this type of drink is an interesting one. From Mormonism to mainstream, here is the history of dirty soda.
What is dirty soda?
Dirty sodas are made up of soda, creamers and flavoring syrups. There are several different places that are selling drinks that are customizable. The modern day popularity of them began in 2021 on TikTok where the idea exploded. However, TikTok did not come up with this trend; the origin of a dirty soda dates back to the early 2010s in Utah, but there is evidence of other dirty sodas even earlier than that.
The history of dirty soda
The history of dirty soda links back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to the Word of Wisdom, which is of revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants, Prophet Joseph Smith found that “hot drinks” are not right for the belly and the body, meaning drinks like coffee and tea were off limits.
Later, Mormon leaders extended this to other caffeine like cold coffees and teas. It is hotly debated within Mormon leader spaces if this rule includes all caffeine. According to a newsletter put out by the church in 2012, it specifies that the “hot drinks” rule only applies to varieties of coffee and tea and not caffeine.
There have been earlier ways of getting around this rule that predates dirty soda. Egg creams, Coke floats, and even Pepsi and milk are all examples of drinks that predate dirty soda.
Swig
One of the most popular drive-thru dirty soda shops is a company called Swig. Swig was founded in 2010 by Nicole Tanner, a Mormon mother of five who started the business as a means to fill a gap in the community. She opened the first location in Saint George, Utah, across from Dixie State University. The reason that Tanner chose to do a drive-thru soda shop is because it was a niche that was not tapped into yet.
From there, Swig as a company exploded in popularity all over Utah but had not picked up speed nationally until about 2021 when singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo posted an advertisement with them on their Instagram, showing off a cup of her own. Later in an interview, Rodrigo explained that she had lived in Utah for a while and enjoyed Swig growing up. After this, the company blew up and started moving to other states. Now they have locations in Florida, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri.
Unfortunately, there is not a Swig location in Ohio yet. The closest Swig to Wright State University is in Louisville, KY. But there are other restaurants that followed in the footsteps of Swig that also sell these drinks.
Sonic Drive-In, the drive-thru chain restaurant came out with their dirty soda menu in 2023 that allowed any soda that they sell to be customizable. The closest Sonic to campus is on Colonel Glenn Highway. Another popular place to get dirty sodas is Buc-ee's gas station. One of the things that Buc-ee's prides themselves on is having enough syrups to be able to concoct dirty soda.
Currently there is not a Buc-ee's in Ohio but there is one being built in Huber Heights that is scheduled to open Spring 2026. Another option is to go to Speedway and use their syrups that they have for their coffee. The closest Speedway is right across from the Nutter Center on Colonel Glenn Highway.
Recipes
For the students that do drink dirty sodas, they always have their favorite recipe that they get every time.
“I always get a Dr Pepper, and then I put vanilla syrup in it. Then I'll put a cut up lime and a few cherries and a little bit of cherry juice in it,” Nursing Student Hannah Layton said. “It's so good, sometimes I'll go to Sonic before class to grab one just so I have one."
Dr Pepper as a company has lent themselves to getting in on the dirty soda craze, partnering with Coffee mate to make a coconut lime creamer to specifically have with coffee.
“I like to get a Shirley Temple every now and then,” Fairborn Resident Crystal Hendrick said.
The Shirley Temple has origins dating back to the actress herself. Shirley temples were created due to the need for there to be a non-alcoholic drink for the actress to perform in bars.
The recipe calls for either Sprite or 7Up mixed with a red grenadine. It is debated whether or not a Shirley Temple is considered a mocktail (mock cocktail) or a dirty soda. While creamer is usually a major aspect of dirty sodas, which a Shirley Temple does not come with, some argue that a dirty soda does not need cream or creamer.
Another recipe that is good is orange Fanta with a splash of vanilla creamer in it. It is made to mimic the taste of an orange Dreamsicle and is very good.
There are many different other combinations that you could do with your soda, but one thing is for sure: this is a trend that will not go away for a while.
