Everything You Should Know About Dirty Soda Chain Swig

Dirty soda sure suddenly seems like all the rage these days. There are dirty soda hacks on TikTok, online recipes on many different websites, and various "I tried it" videos and articles about this viral drink. If you haven't heard of it, where have you been? And now that you have, be prepared to learn much more about it. Most of the dirty soda conversation talks about one brand in particular: Swig. 

Swig is said to be the originator of the dirty soda. Even though other brands like Sodalicious have popped up, and existing brands like Buc-ee's has joined the dirty soda game, Swig certainly seems to have a hold on the dirty soda market. The brand's red circular logo can be seen in many of the social media (and media) posts about dirty sodas. Along with the online hype, the Utah-based brand is also rapidly expanding across the country and you may soon find a location in your state, if one isn't already there.

So what exactly is dirty soda? What is Swig? Where can you find one and what should you order when you finally decide to go? Read on to get all the info you need about dirty soda and this popular and growing chain. 

Swig is a chain of soft drink stores based in St. George, Utah and it's known as the Home of the Original Dirty Soda. Swig is primarily a chain of drive-thru locations offering dirty sodas and a limited menu of small snacks and sweets. The chain was founded in 2010 by Nicole Tanner, a Mormon mother of five. 

The brand grew steadily, opening more and more locations until it became a chain. In many cities in Utah, you can find Swig locations within a few blocks away from each other — it's kind of like Utah's version of Starbucks. The company filed for a trademark for the word "dirty" in 2013, and kept expanding to have 16 locations by 2016 and 41 locations in 2022. That same year, Larry H. Miller Company bought a majority interest in Swig for an undisclosed amount, although it's said that it was a nine-figure deal. With the new major investment, an ambitious expansion was quickly underway. In 2023, Swig signed 250 franchise units across seven states: Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Idaho. As of June 2024, Swig has 81 open locations across the aforementioned seven states. 

There are certainly competitors in the market like Fiiz and Sodalicious, and other existing chains like Sonic that also offer dirty sodas. Even Coffee Mate is getting in on the trend of making dirty sodas at home, launching a coconut lime "Dirty Soda" creamer. For now, though, as far as stores go, Swig is the leader in the market. 

Dirty soda refers to sodas or soft drinks that have been mixed — "dirtied," so to speak — with flavored syrups, a splash of cream or half and half, or other ingredients like fruit purees. The original dirty soda is a Dirty Diet Coke which is Diet Coke with coconut creamer and lime juice, but these days there are seemingly infinite variations of dirty soda, and Swig and other shops are also always coming up with new and seasonal ones. 

The concept of mixing sodas with other ingredients isn't new, of course. You have Italian sodas which are made from carbonated water with flavored syrups. There is also the New York egg cream, which is made with soda water, milk, and chocolate syrup. According to legend, egg cream has been around since the 19th century. The dairy addition in egg cream is similar to a lot of dirty sodas which have creamer or half and half added. Mixing dairy with sodas might seem weird at first glance, but when you think about it, it's kind of like a root beer float, which I think we can universally agree is good. Then, there's the beloved kids' drink, the Shirley Temple, which is typically a lemon-lime soda or ginger ale mixed with grenadine. 

Swig takes it to another level, though. While Italian soda and egg cream use plain soda water as a base, you can make any soda "dirty." Mountain Dew with mango puree? Pepsi with both cherry syrup and coconut syrup? Root beer with marshmallows? Why not? The possibilities are limitless, even if not all combinations are necessarily good ideas. 

The Mormon religion can be partially credited for Swig's success in Utah. You see, Mormons are not allowed to drink coffee or tea. The actual prohibition is for "hot drinks," which church leaders interpreted to mean coffee and (caffeinated) tea, and therefore doesn't extend to cold sodas — caffeinated or otherwise. As you can imagine, that would make caffeinated sodas like Coca-Cola very popular among the Mormon community. Mormons are also prohibited from consuming alcohol, so dirty soda became one of the rare vices or indulgences that are actually allowed by the church doctrine. All in all, the Mormon population in Utah is the perfect audience for a shop like Swig. With around 42% of the total population in Utah being Mormon, that's a big market to tap into. On a side note, Swig also serves hot chocolate which is hot and contains a small amount of caffeine, but that's also fair game according to church leaders.

Swig's dirty sodas are relatively cheap treats as well, which also helps with the popularity among the general population. Depending on the ingredients, many of Swig's drinks these days still sell for under $3. Compare that to the average price of a latte, which according to a survey study has risen to $5.46 nationally, and a dirty soda sure seems more economical. When Nicole Tanner first opened Swig in 2010, she offered $1 drinks to attract customers to try Swig. The strategy worked and people got hooked. 

Dirty soda has become popular in mainstream media in the past three years and it's in a big part thanks to Olivia Rodrigo's Instagram post for popularizing Swig. The pop star posted a photo of herself holding a 32 oz Swig cup in December of 2021, the red logo on the white cup in full view. Of course, Swig's social media team immediately reposted the image with the caption "Can you guess Olivia's go-to drink?" Suddenly, Swig and dirty soda became trendy and sparked the curiosity of non-Utah residents who previously knew nothing about dirty soda or Swig. Even Pepsi cashed in on the trend the next year, launching a Christmas ad with Lindsay Lohan drinking "pilk," which is a concoction of Pepsi and milk. 

Dirty soda was already getting national attention after the Olivia Rodrigo post, but there's another major driver of Swig's recent popularity. That is the Hulu reality show, "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," which was released in September of 2024. Dirty sodas, including the ones from Swig, are the drink of choice for the Mormon mom-fluencers who are featured on the show. 

Thanks to these two media appearances, dirty soda has gone viral and TikTok is all over it. Users of the social media platform have even gone a step further and come up with a drink called the fluffy Coke, which has also gone viral. Swig itself is leaning in on the national attention and amping up its social media game. As of October 30, 2024, the company has over 139,000 followers on TikTok and over 214,000 followers on Instagram. 

Swig's drink menu is divided into three main sections called Sodas, Revivers, and Refreshers; the difference between the three is the base of the drink. The Soda section has a straightforward name. All the drinks in the Soda section have a soda as a base, obviously, and Swig carries pretty much all the major soft drinks, from Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew to Coke and Pepsi. There's even Fresca as an option. Mountain Dew is generally a good base to go with fruit syrups and purees. 

The Reviver is the section where all the drinks' base is an energy drink. Originally, Swig used Red Bull mixed with watermelon, strawberry, and orange. But in 2019, Swig stopped serving Red Bull and switched to its own proprietary energy drink as the base for all its Reviver drinks. The last section, Refreshers, are drinks made with either water or sparkling water as the base, which are great for people looking for something with less sugar or calories. 

All three sections have their own recommended or named flavor combinations that are also completely customizable. You can even add a splash of a different soda on top and there are already drinks that combine two different base sodas. For the most part, you can also ask for the sugar-free version of Swig's drinks as the store carries sugar-free syrups and sugar-free or diet versions of the sodas. If you're really thirsty (or really need caffeine), you can get any Swig drinks in sizes up to 44 oz. That's the equivalent of 3.67 cans of soda, if you're counting. 

There are a lot of options on Swig's menu. I tried to count them and there are about 70 drinks on there. Trying to figure out what you want to order — or even just trying to figure out what's in each of the drinks — can be overwhelming, so why not try one of the most popular drinks at Swig instead? The original dirty soda is a good option since that's the drink that started it all, and it remains popular. Called "The Founder" on the menu, it is made with Diet Coke, sugar-free coconut syrup, fresh lime juice, and coconut cream. Honestly, it's surprisingly good. 

One of the most famous drinks at Swig is "Raspberry Dream" and there are several copycat recipes online. It is made with Dr. Pepper, raspberry puree, and coconut cream. Another popular drink is the "Texas Tab" which is Dr. Pepper, vanilla, and coconut cream. "Beach Babe" is made with Mountain Dew, peach syrup, raspberry syrup, and vanilla cream. Another crowd-pleaser is the "Buttery Beer" which is made with root beer, butterscotch, and vanilla cream. 

Swig continuously rotates seasonal drinks, too, so there's always something new to try. Some of the flavor combinations seem weirder than others, but taste is a matter of personal preference and all the drinks do have their own fans. The seasonal fall special, Dr. Spice, is an example of one that I find strange. It is made with Dr. Pepper, coconut, cinnamon, and half and half.

First of all, you should know that most Swig locations are drive-thrus, as that was the original concept for the company. Some of the locations are quite serious about the whole drive-thru situation, too. I'm speaking from personal experience as the first time I tried going to Swig, I didn't have a rental car and walked from my hotel to a nearby Swig location in St. George, Utah. The staff would not let me order because I was not in a vehicle. I don't know if all locations will be this strict, but that's something to keep in mind before you trek there. 

Secondly, know that all of Swig's drinks are customizable. You can start with one of Swig's flavor combos and the online ordering system makes it easy to switch, add, or subtract ingredients. Of course, you can always create your own drink from the get-go. Customizing is part of the fun, but it's a good idea to start with one of the recommended combinations to figure out what you like and what combinations work. By the way, a lot of the syrups used at Swig (and other chains) are from the brand Torani.

The customization doesn't end with just selecting the soda, syrup, and cream. You can also choose whether you want your drink blended, or go the opposite route and ask for no ice or extra ice. Then, you can add toppings if you want something to chew on, like passion fruit or strawberry pearls, frozen fruit, or gummy sharks. 

Other than sodas, refreshers, and revivers, Swig also serves other treats. On the drinks front, Swig offers hot chocolate — both hot and frozen. There are also salted pretzel bites, the only salty snacks at Swig. You can buy them with a white cheddar dip or make them sweet with strawberry cream cheese.

Then, we have to talk about the cookies. Swig's pink sugar cookies are pretty famous, as well. Originally, Swig sold pink sugar cookies that were baked by Dutchman's Market, a Utah-based gas station and market. Swig was Dutchman's first wholesale client. Then, a flood in 2012 damaged Dutchman's Market and it couldn't supply the cookies for Swig. Unsure when Dutchman's Market would be able to reopen, Swig tested its own recipes and began baking its pink sugar cookies in-house. The brand now has a bakery in Salt Lake City where all Swig's cookies are baked and then shipped to its multiple locations.

In addition to pink sugar cookies, Swig also has mini chocolate chip cookies and sometimes sells seasonal flavors like pumpkin or S'mores. Some of the limited-time items extend beyond cookies, as well. At some point, there were whoopie pies on the menu, and in the summer of 2024, the chain also offered popsicles, or Swig Pops, in tropical flavors. There were rice crispy treats that were also a big hit, with many customers asking for the chain to bring them back. True Swig fans can also purchase merch to sport, from branded tumblers and hoodies to tote bags.