Dirty Soda Cleaning up the Competition

Hunter Campolo, staff writer

   Popularity of the new internet sensation “dirty soda” is on the rise.  Dirty sodas, otherwise known as Utah sodas, are non-alcoholic beverages that combine a base soda like Coca-Cola or Sprite, with flavored syrups, cream and sometimes fruit, fruit juice or other add-ins. Celebrities like Olivia Rodrigo are promoting them, and people are flocking to stores that are popping up to sell these delicious drinks. This has forced restaurants and fast-food chains, with the fear of fizzling out, to add them to their menus across the states, with Chick-Fil-A, McDonalds and even now Crumbl following suit. Trouble is brewing for coffee companies though, because as these businesses expand, people are even taking these drinks over coffee. Not only are they tasty, but they give a great deal of energy to the customers too, making them a tasty, less addictive alternative to coffee. Additionally, it could possibly replace energy drinks and pre-game drinks for athletes. 

   As the name suggests, they originated in Utah, from Nicole Tanner at the Swig soda shop. Opening in 2010, this shop in St. George found a loophole in Utah’s Mormon culture. Their diet prevents more orthodox followers from drinking coffee, tea and alcohol. Soda, however, was not off limits thankfully; caffeinated soda was on the table for even the most devoted church goers. Tanner had an idea to spice up some soda and opened her small shop. While they started out as a caffeinated drink for Mormons, it has since spread all around the U.S. like wildfire, especially in the past few years. According to Yelp, searches for dirty sodas are up over 600% from 2023 to the current year. With all this attention, the word is spreading fast about stores like Dutch Bros, and unsurprisingly, the students are all over it. Whether you want to go with the classic root beer float, or the old-fashioned Orange Creamsicle, there’s a mixture for everybody, and that’s what draws in such a big crowd 

   “I’ve definitely noticed less customers coming in, ever since they opened across the street,” revealed JC Starbucks worker Diane, after Dutch Bros, a store with its roots in this industry opened right next door as a direct competitor.  

   They’ve had wild success since opening two weeks ago, holding lines around the corner for their drive-through and an hour wait for the walk up. This isn’t exclusive to Dutch Bros, but all the businesses are seeing profit increase with these sweet treats on their menus. Crumbl, who experienced a big falloff in 2023, bounced back in 2024 and added these to their menu recently, promoting it by giving out free drinks to garner attention and hopefully bounce back. Now, they have a great chance by expanding their menu items, especially with the dirty sodas. 

   “I hadn’t heard of those sodas until Dutch Bros opened, and man I’m glad they’re here now. Their ‘Blue Lagoon’ soda is probably in the top 5 drinks I’ve ever ordered,” said Johns Creek junior, Blake Butler. “I’d probably go there before Starbucks or another coffee shop.”     

   All these new stores and menu items are taking away devoted customers of a multiple century-long coffee-based industry. It could even be possible to convene and discuss ideas at these locations and spark another enlightenment that would rival coffee houses in the 15^th through the 17^th century. While not quite a global phenomenon, if these keep their upward trend, they can only take over other countries from here. Only time will tell whether these sodas will keep popping up everywhere, or if their success will bubble over and cause the soft drinks industry to have a hard crash.