Meet Dirty Soda: The ‘It’ Drink of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives

A TikTok trend that popped up a few years back is in the limelight again, thanks to a new reality show everyone is talking about. "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" on Hulu has us all revisiting "dirty soda"—yet another delicious treat the internet has bestowed upon us.

Let's rewind a minute. Technically, Olivia Rodrigo put dirty sodas on our radar back when she posted a photo of herself holding a Swig cup (a company that serves dirty sodas in its drive-by drink shops) on Instagram a couple of years ago. Since then, #dirtysoda has blown up on TikTok with millions of videos, tags, saves, comments, and the like.

Now, we're reaching new heights, all because of #MomTok. So, what the heck is a "dirty soda" anyway? And what does it taste like?

What Is Dirty Soda?

Dirty soda is a Utah favorite that's been popular in the state for more than a decade. It's a soda of your choice (typically a cola, but it can also be made with root beer, citrus-flavored soda, or even lemonade), cream, and flavored syrup.

The original dirty soda is made with Diet Coke, heavy cream, coconut-flavored syrup, and lime. It's similar to an egg cream, but with flavored soda instead of seltzer water.

Where Did Dirty Soda Come From?

Utah has a large population of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). LDS members adhere to the church doctrine, which calls for abstaining from wine, "strong drinks," and "hot drinks." Essentially, LDS members cannot drink alcohol, coffee, or tea for health reasons.

However, in 2012 the LDS church clarified that the health practice doesn't mention caffeine specifically, only hot drinks. Therefore, Latter-day Saints can still enjoy beverages with caffeine in them—like soda.

That same year dirty soda, which had been around since 2010, exploded. Nowadays, you can find dirty soda at multiple soda shops around Utah, as well as in states with large LDS populations, like Arizona and Idaho. And, the craze is sweeping the nation as dirty soda shops are popping up in other states like Oklahoma and Texas, too.

As far as where you should get a dirty soda? Well, that's about as highly debated as which fast food joint has the best french fries.

The two biggest dirty soda shops are Swig and Sodalicious. Swig came first, opening in 2010, and is credited with creating dirty soda, but Sodalicious wasn't far behind, opening in 2013. Both shops offer a large menu with soda options as well as a treat menu that features cookies and other sweets. So, if you have a sweet tooth, add these soda shops to your must-try list!

Dirty Soda Taste Test

Obviously, I had to try this trend, I was a little skeptical at first. Heavy cream and pop just don't sound like they would mix—spoiler alert: I was very wrong.

I couldn't make it to a Swig soda shop, so I had to DIY two dirty sodas from the Swig menu at home. First, I wanted to try the classic, so I made "The Founder," which is Diet Coke, heavy cream, sugar-free coconut syrup, and lime. For the second one, I went with Olivia Rodrigo's go-to order: the "Malibu," which is Dr Pepper, coconut syrup, and vanilla syrup. (Sidenote: Coffee mate recently made things a whole lot easier to mix up.)

The Founder is very fun to make. It's like a science experiment as you pour the heavy cream into the pop—as it mixes together it creates a satisfying color change. It tastes like a melted root beer float with a hint of tropical flavor. The creaminess and flavor combination is reminiscent of a cocktail, just without any alcohol.

The Malibu is equally delicious, albeit less creamy without the addition of heavy cream. It simply tasted like a vanilla- and coconut-flavored Dr Pepper.

Overall, I'd highly recommend trying dirty soda. Even if you can't make it to a soda shop, they're so easy to make at home—and the flavor combinations are endless (as evident by our own Nicole McLaughlin's video above)! And what better treat to sip on while binging all the drama "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" has to offer?