Utah: Home of the ‘Dirty Soda’
Five spots where you can experience Utah’s soda craze.
Either you’re here to find the best spot to grab a dirty soda, or you’re wondering, “What on earth is a dirty soda?” From its original Utahn roots to a trending TikTok sensation, we’re here to explain the dirty soda phenomenon and the best places to experience this unique Utah delight.
What is a ‘dirty soda’?
Simply put, a dirty soda is your typical fountain soda, but with added ingredients such as heavy creams, flavored syrups, candy pieces or fruit juices. Similar to an Italian soda, except the dirty soda uses popular soft drinks like Dr. Pepper, Coke, Sprite, or Mountain Dew vs. the traditional club soda that you would find in an Italian soda.
With dirty soda shops popping up across the state, you won’t be hard pressed to find one. These trendy drink shops typically consist of a drive-through model, allowing you to quickly grab a soda to go. Most shops also have cookies or other sweet treats to choose from, but non-Utahns are often surprised to find the main ticket item on the menu is the drink itself.
Simply put, a dirty soda is your typical fountain soda, but with added ingredients such as heavy creams, flavored syrups, candy pieces or fruit juices.
Since their debut around 2010, dirty soda shops have exploded in number and popularity all throughout Utah.
"With dirty soda shops popping up across the state, you won’t be hard pressed to find one. These trendy drink shops typically consist of a drive-through model, allowing you to quickly grab a soda to go."
But just how did the dirty soda originate? Here’s a brief history.
The craze kicked off in Utah around 2010. Although there is debate around the true original shop, there’s no denying that Utah is the home of the dirty soda. The first concoction to hit the scene was the dirty Diet Coke — a mixture of Diet Coke, coconut syrup, fresh lime and a touch of half and half.
Due to Utah’s large population of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — whose members abstain from alcohol and hot beverages (such as coffee or tea) — the dirty soda concept took off.
And thanks to the advent of social media platforms like TikTok, the concept became a trending sensation with the hashtag #dirtysoda receiving millions of video views and users sharing creative new soda concoctions.Now, Utah’s dirty soda concept has garnered nationwide attention and is growing in popularity. In Utah you can find the largest variety of dirty soda shops in the nation, with a variety of chains and hundreds of drink concoctions. Whether you prefer your drink a little citrusy, a little sweet, or down right indulgent — Utah has a dirty soda for you.
Ready to experience a drink for yourself? Here are 5 dirty soda shops you won’t want to miss on your next trip to Utah.
1. Swig
We’d be remiss not to mention one of the OG soda shops here in Utah, Swig. From creator Nicole Tanner, this was one of the early soda shops that originated in St. George, Utah in 2010.
“My husband and I were big time Diet Coke drinkers — we still are — and we appreciated a good drink from Sonic with pebble ice,” Tanner told QSR Magazine. “But if you visit a drive thru to get your daily dose of caffeine through a fountain drink, you might have to wait behind someone ordering food. So we thought there was something missing in the marketplace.”
Tanner’s hunch paid off with Swig’s ever growing popularity and fast-paced franchise expansion. According to KSL news, in 2023 Swig announced the successful signing of 250 franchise units across seven new states.
Drink Highlight: “The Founder” — Diet Coke + Sugar Free Coconut + Fresh Lime + Coconut Cream
2. Sodalicious
Another one of the original dirty soda shops is the pioneering Sodalicious. The name speaks for itself as these sodas are delicious! Known for their witty naming conventions, with sodas like “2nd Wife,” “Holy Water,” and “Ale Yeah," just to name a few.
Drink Highlight: “Ging and Juice” — Ginger Ale + Coconut, Pineapple
3. FiiZ Drinks
Next on our list is a Utah favorite, FiiZ Drinks. You might recognize the name from the viral beauty pageant clip of Merrie Hansen dressed as a FiiZ soda. It’s true, as Merrie says, “In no other state do people love their soda like they do in Utah!” FiiZ also stands apart with their variety of sweet and savory snack items, like nachos, pretzels, churro bites and cookie dough bites.
Drink Highlight: “Fireplace” — Rootbeer + Cinnamon + Maraschino Cherry & Cream
4. Thirst Drinks
A great option to try if you’re flying to Utah, since Thirst will soon have a location at the Salt Lake International Airport. This shop is also known for their freshly-fried beignets that you can top with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, honey, chocolate or a flavored syrup — a perfect pair to the dirty soda.
Drink Highlight: “Dr. McCreamy” — Dr. Pepper + Raspberry Puree + Coconut Cream
5. Quench It!
Another must visit on your dirty soda tour is Quench It! Started in 2014 in Heber, Utah, this soda shop is known for its high quality customer service and next level cookies. Almost every dirty soda shop has the standard pink sugar cookie, but at this joint, you’ll get a specialty cookie from local Utah brand Süss cookies. These handcrafted, small batch, gourmet cookies are baked just next door in Midway, Utah. A great way to support local Utah businesses!
Drink Highlight: “Pep in Your Step” — Pepsi + Pomegranate & Limes
Some dirty soda shops boast a variety of savory snack items as well, including nachos, pretzels and pizza bites.
These shops provide the ultimate sweet-toot satiation, from custom-made soda and ice cream floats to freshly baked cookies and beignets.
Fruit mix-ins add a colorful flare to any dirty soda.
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