5 Crazy Things People Are Adding to Their ‘Dirty’ Sodas

“Dirty sodas” don’t have to contain alcohol—in fact, most of them don’t! Just ask anyone from Utah. The state has its own thriving soda culture, with specialized create-your-own beverage stores like Swig and Sodalicious, where you can make your own flavored sodas, aka “dirty sodas.” I’m not just talking about basic add-ins like raspberry bits and lemon juice. Dirty soda drinkers are spicing up their bubbly beverages with tons of interesting flavors and textures. And although dirty soda culture may have originated in Utah, it’s becoming popular all over the country (largely thanks to TikTok). So if you want to step up your soda pop game, here are some mix-ins you should try. 


Peanuts

peanuts in coke
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / iStock

Adding peanuts to soda is more common in the southern parts of the U.S. Esquire praised this soda additive, comparing it to strawberries in champagne. Apparently, salted peanuts are the way to go, adding a savory aspect (I imagine sort of like a sports drink). According to Mythical merchandise graphic designer Caleb Hartsfield, when you add a handful of salted peanuts to Coke, it makes the Coke foam a little bit, creating a sweet and salty froth. The peanuts also add a snack element to drinking, kind of like boba in milk tea. Who doesn’t love fishing for a fun little snack at the bottom of your beverage?

Candy (Gummy Bears, Twizzlers, Sour Patch Watermelons)

candy in soda
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / iStock

Using a Twizzler or a Red Vine as a straw makes complete sense when drinking something like a Pepsi or a Coke. But why stop there? Gummy bears and Sour Patch Kids are two candies you might want to consider adding to your soda. Key Mythical set P.A. Mikayla Barnes likes to add Sour Patch Watermelons to her pineapple Fanta because the candy soaks up the drink, giving it a unique new flavor. She also likes that the candy makes the drink a little sweeter once it marinates for a while. Mmm, marinated soda candy. 

Salt

squirt
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / iStock

My mom’s favorite summer soda is a three-to-one mix of Squirt and Coke topped with a sprinkle of salt (or even rimmed with salt like a margarita if she’s adding alcohol to it). The salt draws out the citrusy notes of the Squirt, which makes it “truly feel like summer time,” she says. Adding a touch of salt can also make soda a little more palatable to people like myself who don’t regularly consume soda because it’s so damn sweet.

Syrup

soda with syrup
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / iStock

If you want to give your beverage a glow-up, maple and other varieties of syrup can transform a Plain Jane soda to a Saucy Sarah in moments. Pepsi and IHOP know all about this, as they recently released a limited edition Maple Syrup Cola (which only a lucky few customers got to try). Other fans of syrupy soda prefer to add grenadine, like Mythical’s own short form content producer Greg Johnson. Greg said he enjoys adding pomegranate-flavored syrup to Pepsi because of the unique flavor and the ability to control the sweetness level. Pomegranate Pepsi feels like the more sophisticated cousin of a cherry Coke, and that is definitely something I can get behind. 

Coffee Creamer

coffee creamer in soda
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / iStock

Utah’s soda shops have lengthy menus with all kinds of things you can choose to put in your soda, from blue cotton candy to gummy sharks. But the thing that catches my attention the most is coffee creamer. In Yelp reviews of Sodalicious, people are raving about their “extra dirty” Diet Cokes mixed with half-and-half and coconut syrup, or Dr. Peppers mixed with white chocolate and creamer. One Sodalicious loyalist described adding half-and-half to soda as “just to die for,” and now I’m pining for one all the way from SoCal. One thing that keeps me from consuming an alarming amount of soda is its sharpness (McDonald’s Sprite, anyone?), so muting that with cream sounds wonderful and inviting!


About the Author

Naajia Shukri

Naajia Shukri is the legit biggest fan of candy corn. She is interested in all things food, art, and beauty. After living in Korea for the past two years, she has gotten back to her L.A. roots, frequenting thrift stores and art museums.

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  • I’ve been drinking diet root beer with a bit of heavy cream lately. So tasty! It’s even better with cream soda, but I’m having a heck of a time finding diet cream soda anywhere in my region.

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