Just like a dirty martini, a dirty soda just needs a bit of olive brine. You can start with any base soda you want (Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, Sprite, etc.), add a splash of olive brine, and you’re there. If you’re fancy you can polish the presentation with a high-quality stuffed olive on a skewer. Blue cheese stuffed is a classic.

I’m just kidding, that sounds disgusting. I regret coming up with that lie because it means I’ll probably make it a reality at some point. Sort of a Garbage Pail Kids version of a Shirley Temple. Dirty Soda is actually a family of modified carbonated drinks that mix standard sodas with either non-dairy creamer, coconut milk, or another creamy liquid. This creates a cloudy drink that can be further customized to an individual’s preference – and it’s having a big moment. “Dirty Soda” is the generic name, but many people call it “Dirty Coke”, “Dirty Dr Pepper”, or whatever base you prefer.

There’s a lot of disagreement about the history of dirty sodas. Many people place its origins in Utah with soda shops like Swig, Sodalicious, and Fiiz offering extensive soda menus with “dirty” add-ins. These shops operate similar to Starbucks or other coffee stands, but carbonated drinks replace coffee as the vice of choice. They’ve exploded in popularity throughout Utah and Idaho and are gaining traction outside of these historic Mormon settlements.

Did these drinks actually start in Utah? Probably not. Sonic Drive-In has provided their customers with a fully customizable soda menu for a long time. Customers and employees created a cult secret menu of combinations, complete with code names (Pink Starburst, Buttery Beer, Green Goblin, Crash Splash, etc.). That’s also where many people believe the Pickle Dr Pepper came from. But, did Sonic create the concept of Dirty Soda? Again, probably not.

Soda fountains were extremely popular in the early 20th century. Carbonated drinks like Coca-Cola and others were originally served in pharmacies, but this later evolved into sit-down diner style shops with elaborate fountains of seltzer water, syrups, ice cream, and other treats. Drinks were usually mixed fresh, and customizations were the norm. Soda Jerks were the equivalent to bartenders, and they often had their own recipes that they’d offer their patrons. One of the oldest recipes I’m aware of is a Brooklyn Egg Cream. The recipe is simple, but specific…seltzer water, milk, and Fox’s U-Bet Chocolate syrup. This is still served in New York if you know where to look (Ray’s Candy Store is a great destination). In my opinion, an Egg Cream is a dirty soda, and it definitely predates these other claimants. The American version of “Italian Soda” also fits within these definitions. I say “American version”, but the Italian Soda that most of us think about with cream, seltzer, and syrup was popularized by the Torani syrup company in the early 20th century as a way to sell more syrup. The Torani family is Italian, hence the name.

Summer of 2025 will probably be full of Dirty Soda marketing campaigns. Last year, Coffee Mate tested the (carbonated) waters with their Dirty Soda creamer – intended for Dr Pepper. It was creamy, and coconutty, and limey. I still have some in my fridge…does it ever go bad? I made a video at the time to see how far down the rabbit hole I could go with the Dirty Dr Pepper and almost took my hand off with a power drill. See below.

This year, the Dirty Soda creamer from Coffee Mate is coming back with the same Coconut Lime flavor, but they’re also releasing an Orange Creme Pop version intended to mix with Orange Crush. I couldn’t find an official press release, but it’s been widely confirmed by many sources and appearances on the official website. The big fast-food players are getting in on the game as well. Jack-in-the-Box has been offering Twisted Sodas with as limited time promotions (including a Sour Patch Kids collaboration). Wendy’s is doing “Frosty Fizz” in Canada where they combine a soda with their vanilla Frosty. Taco Bell is never far behind and has a Dirty Mtn Dew. Applebee’s, Chick-Fil-A, and others have either announced something similar or helped spread rumors.

Now that I think about it, isn’t a Root Beer Float basically a dirty soda? It’s all about the ratios. Either way, this is probably less weird than you think. Give it a try yourself, or live vicariously through me. Here’s a link to what I’ve tagged on the blog for Dirty Sodas so far, but I’ll keep adding to it. Back in December I did a 12 Days of Christmas video series where I added eggnog to a variety of other drinks. I probably won’t do that again, but it shows a bit of how far the idea can stretch.

What’s your favorite Dirty Soda? Will it be more popular than Fluffy Coke?