‘Dirty soda’ is all the rage. Swig bets Coca-Cola’s hometown will love it.
Have you ever mixed vanilla cream in a glass of Dr Pepper or spritzed lime juice in a Coca-Cola? What about layering a lemonade by drizzling bright red strawberry puree on top so it swirls into the icy drink below?
The flavorful drink combinations are seemingly endless for fans of dirty soda, the creative beverage trending on social media after becoming wildly popular in Utah among those in search of a fun but nonalcoholic drink.
Now, dirty soda is bubbling into Atlanta.
The national chain Swig is looking to launch its first metro Atlanta locations next year — one in Brookhaven and another in North Druid Hills. The company opened its first Georgia store in Fort Oglethorpe near Chattanooga, Tennessee, in January.
The company launched in 2010 in Utah and has expanded to over 120 locations in 16 states.
It’s where Jessica Mingorance Pereira, who runs a local soda business with her family, first tried dirty soda a few years ago as a college student out West. They operate Sodaddy, one of the few metro Atlanta spots that specializes in the drink, out of a food-truck-style trailer they take to festivals and events.
“Instead of getting really creative with alcohol or coffee, we use soda,” Pereira said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
She introduced her mom, Camiah Mingorance, to dirty soda, too, and both were hooked.
“She was like, ‘How does Coca-Cola’s city not have this?’” Pereira said.
They are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and don’t drink alcohol or coffee, making them among a substantial market segment in search of another kind of unique drink. The carbonated concoctions gained traction on social media and through Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” a reality show following young, glamorous housewives who frequent Swig shops to order highly customized beverages.
For a long time, there weren’t many spots in Atlanta to find dirty soda. Some enthusiasts follow online recipes to make them at home or place modified drink orders at Starbucks, mixing in their own soda from a can.
But many have never even heard of it. At Sodaddy, they still have to explain to people what exactly it is.
“At first it seems weird,” Pereira said. “They’re a little hesitant, but I don’t think we’ve had a single person we’ve served not like the product.”
As awareness grows, dirty soda has become more than a passing social media fad, said Joseph Chen. He is the CEO and founder of Leo and Dragon, a Toronto consulting firm that researches and predicts food and beverage trends.
Celebrities, social media influencers and consumers posting about dirty soda online — particularly on TikTok and Instagram — have “skyrocketed over the last number of years, especially the past year,” he said in an interview with the AJC.
“Everyone is jumping into this,” he said.
Chick-fil-A now serves a Cherry Berry Sprite alongside its Cherry Sunjoy, which combines tea, lemonade and berry flavoring. PepsiCo launched its Wild Cherry and Cream flavor this year and is creating “Dirty Mountain Dew” cream soda in 2026. Other fast food restaurants have created limited-time dirty soda options to test the waters, Chen said.
At Swig, a 16-ounce soda starts at about $2 and increases in price with each add-on like fresh fruit, fruit purees, flavored syrups, creams and garnishes. The company is betting on the concept’s lasting appeal with multiple brick-and-mortar shops slated for the Atlanta area next year.
Petitions filed with the city of Brookhaven show Swig’s intention to turn a McDonald’s into a drive-through soda shop at 3510 Ashford Dunwoody Road near Blackburn Park. The special land use permit application is still under review, according to the city.
The other proposed location, at 2960 N. Druid Hills Road, would bring a drive-thru to the Toco Hill area. If approved, Swig hopes to open both soda shops by fall of 2026, according to a company spokesperson.
Swig didn’t provide many details, citing the early stages of the approval process. But in a statement the company said it can share “our excitement about bringing Swig to Georgia!”
Chen predicts it will be successful in Atlanta — “Coke’s market,” he said.
“Coke, Diet Coke — a lot of products that they have are basically the base for dirty soda. So I’m really curious to see how the consumer in Atlanta will be embracing this,” he said. “I think they will do really well.”
For its part, a Coca-Cola spokesperson said the company is “energized by the growing momentum around custom beverages and dirty soda-inspired drinks, which create new occasions and bring fresh energy to the category.”
“We’ve been proud to partner with Swig since their very first location and are excited to see them enter the Atlanta market,” the statement said.
Although soda drinkers span generations, Pereira’s “most enthusiastic” customer base is Generation Z and younger consumers.
Chen’s research backs that up: He says women and girls from about 16 to 28 years old are driving the drink’s rapid growth.
A big part of dirty soda’s appeal is how it looks, since people like to take pictures to post on social media. With creative layering, the drinks can have all kinds of visually appealing colors.
“It’s just such a vibe to walk around with a cute-looking drink,” Pereira said.
While their dirty soda venture is part time for now, Sodaddy hopes to grow as the larger players join in. The family says they think having more options in town will build awareness.
“I think it’s good for us in that we get the recognition of what dirty soda is,” Mingorance said. “We don’t have to explain it to everybody anymore.”
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