Mormon-born soda craze is replacing coffee and cocktails across America
Move over, matcha and mocktails. "Dirty soda" is taking the stage.
The sweet, customizable drink trend that began in Utah more than a decade ago has continued to go mainstream, fueled by social media, reality TV and a shift in how Americans are quenching their thirst, enthusiasts tell Fox News Digital.
The trend takes popular sodas such as Coke, Dr Pepper or Mountain Dew and jazzes them up with flavored syrups, fruit purées and cream.
"A big part of it is the LDS population," said Kelly O'Rourke, marketing director for FiiZ Drinks, a specialty soda chain in Utah founded in 2014.
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Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traditionally abstain from alcohol and coffee, she noted — but soda is permitted.
"It's their version of a coffee ritual," O’Rourke said, comparing the lines at Utah soda shops to the rush outside a Starbucks or Dunkin'.
O'Rourke said stores often see an afternoon rush of "soccer moms" pulling up in vans filled with kids, grabbing customized sodas and snacks.
Another chain, Utah-based Swig, is widely credited with popularizing dirty soda. The brand was founded in 2010 and now operates roughly 140 locations across 16 states, The Wall Street Journal recently reported.
Swig founder Nicole Tanner, a Utah mother of five, launched the company as a way to serve a refreshing beverage with a twist by adding lime, fruit purées and cream.
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The trend has also been spotlighted on Hulu's "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," where cast members have showcased their go-to orders.
The viral exposure has helped propel the category beyond its Mountain West roots.
FiiZ, with over 65 locations across more than 10 states, is among the chains pushing into new territory, including the Northeast. The company's first Connecticut store will open in March, and it has plans to further its East Coast growth through franchises.
"We are a Utah-based company, but our growth is now moving out to the Southeast and into the East Coast," said FiiZ CEO Scott Ball, who joined the company in 2024 after decades in franchising, including time with Dunkin'.
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They're not the only ones moving east. Cool Sips, a New York City-based shop dedicated entirely to dirty soda, has opened several Manhattan locations, according to BuzzFeed.
And to the west, Floso Dirty Soda, a popular Salem, Oregon, soda truck that launched in 2024, is opening a brick-and-mortar location.
The appeal, Ball said, goes beyond novelty.
"Eighty percent of our business is customized drinks," he said. "It's not just coming in for a Diet Coke. It's being able to create your own drink."
One popular mix, known as the "Very Bad Doctor," combines Dr Pepper with vanilla, coconut, raspberry purée and cream.
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The emphasis on personalization reflects a broader food and beverage trend, insiders say. Gen Z consumers, in particular, are gravitating toward customizable, visually engaging drinks that photograph well and are tailored to individual tastes.
"It's not a fad. It's a trend," Megan Tallman, vice president of Coca-Cola Freestyle and Foodservice Innovation, told Restaurant Dive last year.
Pepsi and Coke have both leaned into premium soda "mixology" — adding syrups, fruit and creamers to traditional soft drinks in restaurant partnerships and pilot programs, according to Restaurant Dive.
Another factor fueling dirty soda's rise is that young people are drinking less alcohol.
"If you look at alcoholic beverages, they're actually on the decline," Ball said, adding that many consumers are shifting toward energy drinks and other nonalcoholic options.
FiiZ and similar chains now offer more than just soda. Menus often include sugar-free syrups, sparkling water bases, energy drinks, lemonades and snack items. "We really are more than just dirty soda," O'Rourke said.
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David Baulsir, general manager of the FiiZ location that's opening soon in Connecticut, said introducing dirty soda to East Coast customers has required some education and a hint of nostalgia.
"I tell people it's a modern take on an old-fashioned soda shop," said Baulsir, a former brewery owner.
He noted that soda shops were once common across the East Coast and recalled the heyday of old-fashioned soda fountains before many disappeared in the 1980s and '90s.
"We're bringing it back," he said.
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He sees parallels between the excitement once surrounding craft beer and the buzz around specialty sodas now.
"Younger customers are looking for something fun and social that's not centered around drinking," he said.
The surge in interest comes as soda consumption shows signs of stabilizing after years of decline and as beverage giants continue experimenting with everything from probiotic options to zero-sugar formulations.
"Soda's been around forever," Ball said. "We're just having fun with it."