I Got an Early Taste of McDonald’s Dirty Sodas—Here’s What I Thought

Dirty soda is taking over the world, and McDonald’s is getting in on the action with three handcrafted variants of their fan-favorite fountain drinks. McDonald’s brought me out to their Global Headquarters last week for an early taste test; here’s what I thought of the McDonald’s dirty soda lineup.

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Before we get into this trio of new drinks, I have to mention the new lid. Between the cold foam that tops these dirty sodas and the real fruit inclusions in a few of the refreshers I’ll be reviewing next, these drinks aren’t at their best through Macca’s classic striped straws. The new sip lid is tailor-made for enjoying these new drinks; I expect we’ll see other coffee drinks from McCafe adopt it moving forward as well.

Sprite Berry Blast McDonald’s Dirty Soda Review

McCafe Dirty Soda!

Pros: I’m not surprised this was a fan-favorite during all the previous McDonald’s dirty soda location tests: Sprite Berry Blast is outstanding. The cold foam and blue raspberry syrup mask the lemon half of the Sprite base, letting the strong lime shine through. Between the cold foam and the carbonation, this is a super-sweet treat with a unique mouthfeel for a fast food beverage.

Cons: The “spiciness” of McDonald’s Sprite is definitely mitigated by the sweet cold foam and blue raspberry syrup. The end result is still a refreshing drink, but it doesn’t hit in the same way as the classic Golden Arches Sprite straight from the tap.

Credit: Griffin Parker / McDonald’s

Rating:

9.5/10

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Dirty Dr Pepper McDonald’s Dirty Soda Review

McCafe Dirty Soda!

Pros: I definitely prefer this vanilla syrup/cold foam Dirty Dr Pepper to any version made with coffee creamer; that mixed-in dairy mouthfeel doesn’t add anything to the Dr Pepper experience for me. Adding a 24th flavor to this Texan secret recipe doesn’t always work out, but there’s a reason every dirty soda shop has something like this as a top seller.

Cons: I’m sure the ingredient ratios on this were hard to nail down, since Dr Pepper fans are the most finicky when you start changing things up. (A few Pepperheads at our taste testing event still weren’t convinced.)

Credit: Griffin Parker / McDonald’s

Rating:

8.5/10

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Orange Dream McDonald’s Dirty Soda Review

McCafe Dirty Soda!

Pros: Is Hi-C Orange Lavaburst a soda? It isn’t carbonated, but it is served through the soda machine. Whatever it is, it makes for a great dirty soda base. Everyone who tried this at the early sampling event came to the same conclusion: McDonald’s Orange Dream is a pitch-perfect take on the classic frozen treat.

Cons: While the addition of cold foam makes for a great texture, the end result here is the least groundbreaking of the three drinks in this McDonald’s dirty soda launch. Hi-C Orange Lavaburst is already sweet in a major way, so vanilla syrup and cold foam aren’t bringing anything wholly new to the flavor equation.

Credit: Griffin Parker / McDonald’s

Rating:

8.5/10

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