Dirty soda drinks, usually made by dashing cream into sodium carbonate, have become a delicious alternative, especially for Gen Z consumers. Pepsi hopes to get some new dirty soda drinks.
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Pepsi is deeply involved in the dirty soda trend.
Coming to early 2026: Dirty Mountain Dew Cream Soda Dew, said to be “Mountain Dew’s iconic citrus kick brings a smooth and luxurious taste,” according to a news release.
The Mountain Dew Dirty Soda entry comes months after Mountain Dew’s parent Pepsi was brought to sell the new permanent Pepsi Wild Cherry & Cream Flavor in January. Like Pepsi Wild Cherry & Cream, the new Dirty Mountain Dew Cream Soda Dew is also available with the Zero Sugar option.
Dirty soda is a drink usually made by adding a bit of coffee creamer or flavorful syrup to sodium carbonate, making it a popular drink alternative, especially among Gen Z consumers.
Not short of flavored varieties, Mountain Dew is an obvious mixer for exploring dirty soda.
“Mountain Dew has always pushed boundaries with flavors that become a cultural phenomenon. Dirty Mountain Dew Cream Soda is a creamy, luxurious taste and another example of how to use innovation to attract fans.” “As a brand that has always embraced culture, Dirty Mountain Dew takes the trends of Dirty Soda to a whole new level… Just Dew can do it!”
Pepsi expands towards dirty soda
PepsiCo debuted the Convenience Store Association’s Dirty Mountain Dew Cream Soda Dew, which will be held in Chicago from October 14th to 17th, and will be available nationwide in early 2026.
Mountain Dew is not the only brand that is clearly getting a dirty soda addition. Pepsico is also planning to debut a mug beer drink from Root Beer Float called Vanilla Howler, a mug float that is expected to hit the store next summer, according to the product’s official Instagram page.
Pepsico will also provide a sneak preview of Mugfloat’s vanilla Howler at the NACS show, CNBC reported.
Consumer preferences for dirty soda continue to flow
An accelerated interest in dirty soda has been made in Swig called Swig, known as the “Dirty” Soda House,” which opened in St. George, Utah in 2010. The brand has words of wisdom from the church of Jesus Christian, the saint, who followed, drinking hot cafe indo-drinks like coffee and tea from York.
Swig gained national popularity in December 2021 when singer Olivia Rodrigo posted a photo of herself holding a Swig cup on Instagram.
The dirty soda hack has been growing ever since. Over 14 million viewers saw a Tiktok video posted by singer Dua Lipa in October 2024, where she closed out her diet cola with pickled juice and jalapeno juice.
Other brands, including restaurants such as Dr. Pepper and McDonald’s and Sonic, also offer their own take on dirty soda.
“The dirty soda trend is more than just a trend. It reflects the evolving preferences of today’s consumers,” writes Joseph Chen, CEO of Toronto-based consulting firm Leo & Dragon on the Food Institute website. “As the non-alcoholic beverage market continues to grow, dirty soda is poised to become a staple in the beverage industry.”
Contribution: Greta Cross And Gabe Howari
Mike Snyder is a national trending news reporter for USA Today. You can follow him in the thread, send BlueSky, X with X and send him an email Bliss & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider &msnider@usatoday.com
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