Dirty sodas have moved from novelty to the mainstream. What was once a social media trend now gets sold at McDonald’s and Target, and even PepsiCo has embraced the idea with its own ready-to-drink (RTD) dirty sodas.
Retailers and restaurants have embraced the trend, with 2.7% of U.S. eateries offering a carbonated soft drink that includes cream or milk, up from 1.5% a decade ago, according to CNBC, citing Datassential.
Target has jumped on the dirty soda bandwagon as well, offering up a “secret” menu of dirty sodas that can be made with one of its own beverage lines, and selling an exclusive RTD drink line from Slice.
Target adds dirty sodas
While dirty soda has become a growing trend, it’s important to understand the background and where the idea came from — Mormons in Utah who don’t drink alcohol.
Utah-based drink chain Swig created “dirty soda” back in 2010.
“Dirty soda drinks use pop as a base, followed by flavored syrups, cream or other ingredients. While Swig claims credit — and the trademark — for dirty soda, TikTok videos and the reality TV show ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ have helped the trend spread far and wide, outpacing even the soda chain’s speedy expansion,” according to CNBC.
Target has noted the interest in the modified sodas.
“Dirty sodas are having their moment — social conversations have exploded +265% and searches for the term ‘dirty soda’ are up +300% year-over-year on Target.com,” a Target representative shared with TheStreet.
The chain also shared what’s essentially a secret menu of dirty sodas created with Target’s new Good & Gather prebiotic soda line, made with no artificial flavors, synthetic colors, artificial sweeteners, or high fructose corn syrup. Target’s new soda line has 40 calories, 5 grams of sugar, 9 grams of prebiotic fiber, and zero caffeine.
Target shared three sodas customers have been making using Good & Gather Prebiotic Soda:
- Cherry Citrus: Good & Gather Cherry Citrus Prebiotic Soda, Maraschino cherries, lime juice, and fresh mint
- Grape: Good & Gather Grape Prebiotic Soda, coconut cream, fresh lemon juice, and lavender syrup
- Strawberry Vanilla: Good & Gather Strawberry Vanilla Prebiotic Soda, vanilla creamer, fresh strawberry puree, and whipped cream
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Target adds exclusive RTD Dirty soda
While part of the fun of the dirty soda trend is mixing and matching to make your own flavors, RTD products offer convenience, albeit without customization.
Target now offers a ready-to-drink line from Slice, the former PepsiCo brand now owned by Suja Life, which has remade the one-time Sprite rival as a “better for you” brand.
The new Slice Dirty Soda lineup introduces two flavors, Dirty Orange and Dirty Strawberry, as Target exclusive products. Slice Dirty Soda is made with coconut-derived MCT oil to create the rich, creamy texture fans expect, with no mixing required.
“Rather than artificial cream flavors, we’ve added MCT oil to create the smooth, indulgent mouthfeel that defines a true dirty soda, capturing the creamy indulgence people love while staying true to our mission of offering a better-for-you soda,” Suja Life Chief Marketing Officer Nicole Portwood shared in a press release.
While the Slice line is a Target exclusive, PepsiCo has joined the RTD dirty soda game with Dirty Mountain Dew and Dirty Mountain Dew Zero Sugar.
“Dirty Mountain Dew is officially on shelves. The first-of-its-kind dirty soda-inspired drink from Mountain Dew is available now at retailers nationwide in 20 oz. single bottles and 12-pack 12 oz. cans, alongside Dirty Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. No syrup, no custom recipe required — just Mountain Dew, done dirty,” the company shared in a press release.
PepsiCo also sells two other RTD dirty sodas, Mug Floats Vanilla Howler, and Pepsi Wild Cherry & Cream.
Coca-Cola has not officially released an RTD dirty soda.
Here’s where soda sales are growing
Target and Slice seem to be leaning into the better-for-you trend as well as the dirty soda phenomenon.
“Carbonated soft drinks have been performing steadily for the most part, but the real growth is happening in zero-sugar and diet extensions,” Mitch Madoff, head of retail partnerships at Keychain, New York told Beverage Industry.
Healthier dirty sodas essentially ride both trends, and Pepsi may be ahead of the curve because Coke has not introduced a dirty RTD flavor.
“Traditional full-sugar colas remain relatively flat, while lower- and no-sugar options are driving momentum. Legacy brands like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper are still the go-to favorites, but the momentum is clearly moving toward lower- or no-sugar innovations and new variants,” Madoff added.
Ingredient supplier T. Hasegawa, however, told Bevnet that not every consumer will be looking for healthy options.
“There will likely be plenty of room for pure indulgence in 2026 as well. The ‘dirty soda’ wave will continue,” the company shared.
