Lovely dirty sodas

This summer, there’s been something clouding up the sodas in Bay Area fast food chains. Short answer: It’s dairy. Long answer: It’s Mormonism.

In an April 2026 post, McDonald’s announced on its official site that it was bringing in six new drinks, including Dirty Dr. Pepper. Fans of the Hulu show Secret Lives of Mormon Wives would instantly recognize this as a classic dirty soda drink name. On both reality TV and menus, the culture around the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (also called Mormonism, or abbreviated to LDS) is dripping into popular culture.

But what exactly makes the soda “dirty?” Basically, the addition of half and half or coconut cream, plus flavored syrups, to standard soda.

The origins of dirty soda trace back to 1833, with the writings of LDS founder Joseph Smith, who in The Word of Wisdom urged his followers to avoid “hot drinks,” usually understood to mean tea and coffee. So in addition to forgoing alcohol, LDS members also don’t tend to drink coffee. Combined, this left a void in the Utah drink scene that soda could pop right into.

“Dirty soda” as a specific concept took off in the 2010s after the founding of Swig by Uhtahn Nicole Tanner. Similar brands include Fizz and Sodalicious. Blends have quirky names like Swig’s Texas Tab or Sodalicious’ Second Wife. And lo! It came to pass that the phenomenon spread across the land and branched out to more chains like Sonic, and now McDonald’s and Taco Bell.

Obviously, the existence of mixed soda drinks is much older than the Swig franchise. As a teen, I would get Italian sodas at the cafe at Borders in the Fremont Hub. Italian sodas mix flavored syrups with club soda, while French sodas add half and half, taking one step closer to dirty sodas.

Warning: The drinks pack in a cavity-inducing amount of sugar. Dirty sodas on the Swig menu start at around 140 calories and can go up to 500 for the larger sizes. However, you can mitigate this problem by using diet soda and sugar-free syrup.

Unfortunately for my blood sugar, the drinks are temptingly easy and fun to make at home. I bought mini crushed-ice trays, tall glasses and reusable straws from Target. (The straws are needed because if you sip the drink directly, the foam gets all over the inside of the glass.) Clear glasses are best because admiring the pretty colors and watching the cream mix in is part of the fun.

Syrups are a bit harder to find, because most grocery stores (ironically) assume syrups are for coffee and only stock a handful of flavors like vanilla and caramel. Your best bet is World Market, or ordering directly from the Torani website.

Scoop in the ice first, then pour in the soda. Add the syrups and stir, and stir in the half and half last. Be careful not to stir too much, or you’ll lose the carbonation. 

Near infinite flavor combos are easy to find online. Below are a few that I’ve tried. (I find one tablespoon of half and half, and three quarters of a cup of crushed ice, are about right for this size drink.)

Dirty Dr. Pepper
7.5 oz Dr. Pepper
1 tbsp coconut syrup
2 tsp sweetened lime juice

Strawberry Coke
By Fork in the Kitchen
7.5 oz Coke
1 tbsp strawberry syrup
1.5 tsp vanilla syrup

Peaches and Cream
By Fork in the Kitchen
7.5 oz Sprite
1.5 tbsp peach syrup
2 tsp vanilla syrup

Of course, I couldn’t leave it there. I had to try inventing a few dirty sodas of my own. The first is inspired by my budgie Nami and one of my favorite bars in Downtown Hayward, The Dirty Bird Lounge.

The Dirty Bird
7.5 oz Sprite
1 tbsp blue raspberry syrup
1 tbsp coconut syrup

Since fall drink season is coming up, I decided to try a variation on caramel apple.

Caramel Apple Dirty Soda
7.5 oz Ginger Ale
1.5 tbsp green apple syrup
1 tsp caramel syrup

Why are dirty sodas so satisfying when mocktails feel like overpriced juice? I think it’s for the same reason that plant-based food from vegetarian cultures tastes better than vegetarian options created by meat lovers. When you get a falafel, you’re not wishing it had meat; you’re thinking, “What a yummy falafel!”

Similarly, while the creators of dirty sodas were looking to fill a cocktail social niche—a drink that’s fun to make, looks pretty and can be enjoyed slowly—they weren’t using cocktail flavor profiles as a reference. That lets them explore ingredients that mesh uniquely well with soda, not  alcohol.

A more cynical perspective is that sugar is also a substance, albeit not as addictive or with as many side effects as alcohol. And LDS members know how to work with sugar the way an accomplished bartender knows all the best liquor combinations.

So, drink responsibly. I may be a dirty soda bartender, but if you’ve had too many, I will cut you off. That’s my Word of Wisdom.