Why Soda Shops Are Such A Big Deal In Utah

When you think of a soda shop, you're probably thinking of something quite retro indeed. Those vintage luncheonettes with taps that dispense fizzy water and syrup served by young men in paper hats. (If the phrase "this 97-year-old NYC diner still serves their Coke the old fashioned way" rings a bell, that's the kind of place you're thinking of — in this case, Lexington Candy Shop, which actually turns 100 this year.) But in Utah, there are plenty of modern soda shops with the sort of buzzy, punchy names which sound like they could be a tech startup: Swig, Fiiz, and Thirst, just to name a few. Why are these places such a big deal, and why are they so excited to sell something called "dirty soda"? As is often the case with Utah, the answer has to do with Mormons.

You see, until recently, Mormons were prohibited from drinking caffeine. As part of a doctrine called the "Word of Wisdom," Mormons are discouraged from drinking "strong drinks" (meaning alcohol) and "hot drinks" (meaning coffee and tea). The Mormons interpreted this to mean that anything with caffeine was a "strong drink" and avoided it. As an example of how seriously the religious group took this instruction, Brigham Young University (a Mormon college) only carried caffeine-free sodas in their cafeterias until 2012, when a declaration from the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints leadership made it clear caffeine wasn't really the issue. Was the communication a bit of damage control after then-presidential candidate and famous Mormon Mitt Romney was caught with a Diet Coke? Possibly. But either way, the message was heard loud and clear.

From there, the business plan was pretty clear. With caffeinated sodas allowed, it was now possible to combine the fun of making elaborate cocktails (Mormons still don't drink alcohol) with the sweetness and energy provided by bubbly confections. "Dirty soda" shops had already started sprouting up a couple of years before the Church made its stance on caffeine known, but in 2012 they started to truly take over the state. Today, they're expanding across the country, even receiving a shout-out from Olivia Rodrigo in 2021. It turns out that concocting unholy, soda-based monstrosities is a ton of fun, even if you also enjoy going to bars and Starbucks.

So, what can you expect from these places? Well, depending on where you go, you might be able to enjoy other treats. Swig offers pretzel bites and cream pops, while Sodalicious encroaches on the territory of fellow Utah export, Crumbl, with its famous cookie offerings. But soda is the real star of the show at these soda shops. You can build you own, of course, starting with bases like Coke and Dr. Pepper before adding various creams and syrups, but there are readymade recipes for you to enjoy, too. 

There's the "Big Al" which is just Diet Coke with coconut and lime; there's "Waikiki" which is Coke with pineapple and coconut cream; and then, much more complicated, there's "Dragon Dew" which starts with a Mountain Dew base before adding just a whole ton of other stuff including lemonade and dragon fruit. And those are just from Swig!