Social media chatter around dirty sodas spiked 270% over the past year. Now, major fast food chains are expanding their specialty drink menus at an accelerated rate. As temperatures climb this summer, dirty soda is showing up in drive-thru windows, on TikTok feeds and at grocery store shelves.
If you have not tried one yet, the concept is simple. You take a carbonated soda, add a flavored syrup or creamer and maybe toss in a mix-in like candied fruit or boba. The result is something sweeter and creamier than a standard soda, closer to a dessert drink than anything that comes out of a fountain. And this summer, the trend is hard to miss.
From Utah to everywhere
Dirty soda has been around for years in Utah, where independent soda shops built a loyal local following around the build-your-own drink format. Chains like Swig turned that concept into a drive-thru business and expanded beyond the western United States, helping fuel rapid growth. The Food Institute reports menu penetration for dirty sodas is only 2% but growing at 42%.
The clearest sign that dirty soda has gone fully mainstream, though, is what McDonald’s just announced. Starting in May, McDonald’s added six new specialty drinks to its menu at nearly 14,000 restaurants nationwide, including a Dirty Dr Pepper that combines Dr Pepper with vanilla flavor and cold foam.
When the largest fast food chain in the country adds a dirty soda to its menu, it is a clear indicator that the drink has moved well past niche status. For most Americans, that means a version of dirty soda is now available within a few miles of where they live, whether or not they have ever heard of Swig.
Why it works as a summer drink
Dirty soda works particularly well as a summer drink. The drinks are cold and built to order, which makes them feel more like an experience than a purchase. Their layered colors and toppings also make them highly shareable on social media.
The drinks are nonalcoholic, which makes them a natural fit for summer daytime gatherings and outdoor events. For anyone hosting a backyard cookout or pool day, a dirty soda bar is an easy, crowd-pleasing addition that appeals to teenagers and adults alike.
Major brands jump in
The growth has also attracted major beverage brands. In April 2026, PepsiCo launched Dirty Mountain Dew nationwide, making it available in grocery stores without requiring a soda shop. Dr Pepper also brought back its Creamy Coconut flavor nationwide this spring.
The trend has even crossed into alcohol, with Mike’s Hard Lemonade launching a dirty-soda-inspired line, Mike’s Dirty Lemonade, in four flavors nationwide in March 2026. Now you can pick up a version of this drink style at almost any grocery store or convenience store without hunting down a specialty shop or even a McDonald’s drive-thru.
How to make one at home
Making dirty soda at home is easier than it sounds, and the ingredients are available at any grocery store. You only need three things: a soda, something creamy and whatever mix-in sounds good to you. Here are three combinations worth trying.
The Utah Dirty Dr Pepper is probably the most well-known version of the drink. Fill a glass with ice, pour in Dr Pepper, add a splash of coconut cream or coconut-flavored coffee creamer and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime. The coconut and lime cut through the soda’s sweetness, giving it a more tropical flavor.
For something lighter, try lemon-lime soda with a pump of vanilla syrup, a splash of half-and-half and a few maraschino cherries. The vanilla cream turns the soda into something like an Italian cream soda, and the cherries add color and a little extra sweetness.
If you want to go bolder, start with a black cherry or grape soda, add raspberry syrup and a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk and top with whipped cream. This dirty soda version leans into the sweeter, over-the-top style popular on TikTok.
The ratio of soda to creamer is flexible. A good starting point is roughly three-quarters soda to one-quarter creamer or syrup, then adjust from there based on how sweet you want it. Flavored coffee syrups like those from Torani or Monin work well and come in dozens of varieties, so once you have a bottle or two on hand, the combinations are essentially endless.
The bigger picture
Summer is a good time to experiment before it becomes as commonplace as a specialty coffee order. Whether you pick one up at a drive-thru, grab a can at the grocery store or build one at home with a bottle of coconut creamer and whatever soda is in your fridge, the barrier to entry is low, and the upside is a genuinely refreshing summer drink.
Anne Jolly is a seasoned writer and creator of the Upstate Ramblings blog, which explores America’s unique food culture. Her work on culinary trends and food traditions has appeared in major publications, including MSN, Fortune, The Mercury News, The Seattle Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Education Week. When not writing, she experiments with new recipes and discovers local food gems in upstate New York.
The post Dirty soda bubbles up as a summer drink trend appeared first on Food Drink Life.
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