Dirty Soda: Origin, ingredients and sugar

Dirty Soda is a drink made from fizzy drink mixed with cream, flavoured syrups or fruit juices. The trend originated in Utah and has spread far beyond the US via social media. This fact check explains exactly what goes into it, why it originated in Utah of all places, and where the sugar is found in Dirty Soda.

What is Dirty Soda?

The English-language Wikipedia describes Dirty Soda – also known as ‘Mormon Soda’ – as a soft drink containing cream, flavoured syrups or fruit juices. Typical examples include:

• A soft drink as a base; cola-flavoured drinks are popular, including the diet versions.
• Something creamy, such as a mixture of cream and milk or coconut cream.
• Flavoured syrup, such as vanilla or strawberry.
• Garnish with a lime wedge or a cherry.

Where the trend comes from

The history of the drink is linked to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah. Its ‘Word of Wisdom’ prohibits, amongst other things, alcohol and hot drinks, including coffee and tea; many believers therefore turned to lemonades instead.

The first shop to officially sell the drink was set up in 2010 by Nicole Tanner in St George, Utah; in 2013, her company registered the term ‘dirty soda’ as a trademark. However, the idea of mixing soda with syrup to create customised drinks is an older one: as early as the beginning of the 20th century, soda jerks at soda fountains were mixing carbonated water with syrups.

How the trend came to light

In the 2010s, the trend first took hold in Utah and within Latter-day Saint communities, before spreading via social media. In April 2022, there were over 700,000 videos on TikTok under the hashtag #dirtysoda. Major chains in the US added ‘dirty soda’ variants to their ranges, and by 2025 the trend had reached Canada too. In Germany, search interest in ‘dirty soda’ has recently risen sharply – by 296 per cent compared with the previous year, according to our keyword research.

Where the sugar is in Dirty Soda

The traditional recipe contains several sources of sugar:

• Lemonade: According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, caffeinated lemonades contain on average around 100 g of sugar per litre; sugar-free varieties are sweetened with sweeteners. The article ‘Zero-calorie drinks’ explains what goes into these drinks.
• The syrup: According to the WHO’s definition, sugar in syrups is classified as free sugars.
• Fruit juice, if added, is also classified as free sugars.

To put this into perspective: the WHO and the DGE recommend that less than 10 per cent of your daily energy intake should come from free sugars – which amounts to a maximum of 50 g on a 2,000 kcal per day diet. If you want to cut down on sugar, start with the base ingredients and syrups. Find out more in the guide ‘Sugar-free without sweeteners’.

And what about ACQUA REAPER?

Our Sparkling, Pink Grapefruit, Lime & Mint and Citrus flavours contain no sugar and, according to the list of ingredients, no sweeteners. They are therefore a potential no-sugar base – though we don’t yet have a ready-made, tested Dirty Soda recipe using our cans. As soon as we have one, it’ll be posted here. Until then, you’ll find recipe cards under ‘Mocktails’ and in the recipe overview.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Wikipedia (English): Dirty soda, as at 31 August 26. en.wikipedia.org
2. Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): Questions and answers on caffeine and caffeinated foods, including energy drinks, FAQ dated 5 January 2026. bfr.bund.de
3. World Health Organisation (WHO): WHO calls on countries to reduce sugar intake among adults and children, 4 March 2015. who.int
4. DAG, DDG and DGE: Consensus paper: Quantitative recommendation on sugar intake in Germany, December 2018. dge.de
5. ACQUA REAPER: Product labels, 07–08/26.