Long before modern viral food trends, New York City soda fountains fiercely competed with bizarre and beloved concoctions, from Kola Phosphates to the legendary Lower East Side egg cream. Today, that spirit of beverage innovation has been resurrected and rebranded in the form of the "dirty soda."
A dirty soda is essentially a classic fountain drink spiked with a variety of flavored syrups, creams, fruit purees, and fresh citrus. What began as a regional curiosity has swiftly bubbled up into a massive nationwide craze, driven by highly customizable menus, social media appeal, and a younger generation seeking affordable spots to socialize.
The modern phenomenon traces its roots back to 2009 in St. George, Utah. Nicole Tanner, a mother of five looking to support her family after a move from Colorado, noticed how the Great Recession had forced families to cut back on dining out and vacations. She envisioned a new kind of affordable indulgence: a drive-through fountain drink shop. Inspired by her own tedious waits in fast-food drive-throughs just to get a Diet Coke with lime, she decided to create a beverage destination that offered the endless customization of Starbucks with the convenience and friendliness of a dedicated soda shop.
In 2010, Tanner opened Swig. Offering $1 drinks in its early months to attract a customer base, the shop soon boasted lines wrapping around the block. Tanner and her team eventually coined the term "dirty soda" when they debuted the Dirty Dr Pepper—a simple but addictive blend of the classic carbonated beverage and coconut syrup.
The concept found a particularly massive audience among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Making up roughly half of Utah's population, many Mormons adhere to a strict health code that prohibits alcohol as well as "hot drinks" like coffee and tea. When the church clarified in 2012 that cold caffeine itself was not banned, dirty sodas quickly became the go-to socially acceptable indulgence. Soda runs transformed into a staple of Utah daily life, from after-school treats to casual evening hangouts.
Recognizing the goldmine, Swig strategically opened locations near college campuses, breeding a loyal student following. It wasn't long before rivals like Sodalicious, Quench It!, and FiiZ Drinks sprang up, expanding the standalone soda shop model far beyond its initial borders. The booming market even sparked fierce "soda wars," leading Tanner and Swig to file a federal trademark for "dirty soda" in 2013 and famously settle a high-profile legal dispute with Sodalicious over branding in 2017.
For a decade, dirty soda remained largely a Utah secret. But as the 2020s rolled in, the photogenic, highly customizable drinks caught the attention of social media algorithms, catapulting the sugary, creamy concoctions out of the Beehive State and onto the national stage.