Care for a dirty soda? How this drink trend became a US obsession

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that dirty soda, a customizable fountain drink mixed with ingredients such as syrups, cream, fruit purees and citrus, has moved from a Utah novelty to a broader US trend. The story traces the drink’s modern rise to Nicole Tanner, who opened Swig in St. George, Utah, in 2010 after looking for a more convenient and family-friendly way to sell fountain drinks. Swig later helped popularize the term “dirty soda,” and its early growth drew long lines and inspired a wave of imitators.

The article says the concept spread first through Utah, where it found a ready audience among Mormon communities and younger customers looking for alcohol-free social spaces. Other regional chains such as Sodalicious, Quench It! and FiiZ Drinks expanded the model, while competition also led to trademark and branding disputes in the state’s growing market. Al Jazeera notes that the trend then accelerated nationally in the early 2020s as social media boosted colorful, highly shareable drink videos and celebrity attention helped raise its profile.

According to the report, dirty soda’s wider appeal also reflects shifting consumer habits, especially among Gen Z, who are drinking less alcohol and seeking affordable places to gather. Soda shops have filled that role as low-cost “third spaces,” and the article connects the trend to a longer American history of soda fountains as neighborhood social hubs. It also highlights a new example of the trend’s expansion: Suck It Up Soda Shop, which opened in Bakersfield, California, in February as the city’s first dirty soda shop.