Home Business Food and Beverages Dirty Soda Trend Revitalizes S...

Dirty Soda Trend Revitalizes Soft Drink Market with Creamy Flavors

Food and Beverages

BusinessHonor - Dirty Soda Trend Boosts Soft Drink Market

Business Honor
29 September, 2025

From a local hit to a national craze, dirty soda captivates younger consumers nationwide.

Dirty soda's popularity is disrupting the food and beverage market by redefining the classic soft drink in the form of creamy, flavorful drinks. It all began in 2010 with Utah chain Swig, which made popular the practice of combining soda with flavored syrups, cream, or milk. This local trend has exploded into a national phenomenon that is attracting younger, fashion-forward consumers. Large fast-food chains like Taco Bell, McDonald's, and TGI Fridays have quickly gotten on board, providing temporary dirty soda flavors to meet demand. Drink giant PepsiCo is also joining the movement with ready-to-drink options like Pepsi Wild Cherry & Cream, and planning to introduce new items like Dirty Dew and Mug Floats Vanilla Howler later in 2026, looking to get a larger share of the market.

Dirty soda's popularity extends well beyond unusual flavors. Its bright colors and rich textures have found it a social media star, particularly on TikTok, which have brought the phenomenon raging across demographics. Swig itself has expanded to more than 140 stores in 16 states and logged an 8.2% jump in same-store sales this year. Young women aged 18 to 35 are the brand's primary customers, a group very active in following beverage trends. Restaurants like McCrady's enjoy dirty soda not only because of its popularity but also because it is easy to prepare. Unlike espresso-based beverages, dirty sodas can be produced with current soda machines and creamers, so they are economical and easy to roll out on menus. Following years of soda decline in the U.S. market, there is a small resurgence, partly due to dirty soda. As manufacturers of beverages continue to innovate through new flavors and ready-to-drink formats, dirty soda will be a lasting fixture in restaurants as well as retail channels, combining nostalgia and contemporary customization to attract a new generation of soda lovers.