Dirty Sodas- a blend of bottled soda, flavored syrups, and cream- are the beverage of the moment. Dirty Sodas are trending on tiktok, with Soda Shops popping up all over the Western Mountain states. (By the way, ours, the Simple Goodness Soda Shop, popped up in 2020 here in Washington, ahead of the trend !) We've been testing this trend for the past two years at the Soda Shop, so when asked recently by Q13 Fox to demonstrate our Simple Goodness Dirty Sodas, we did our hair and drove to Seattle. You can watch it here, but we wanted to be sure you all could try it at home as well, with this recipe.
While it is of the moment, the drink is decidely rooted in an Americana past. Soda Fountains have been serving a combo of syrup + carbonated water since the late-1800's in America. Then, the sodas Americans consume en masse in a can or bottle today were made on demand using syrup and carbonated water made with seltzer bottles, and served over ice, which was a treat in and of itself before refridgeration reached homes.
Simple Goodness "house" sodas are made the same way today, bringing modern flavor combinations to your glass of refreshment by combining our garden to glass syrups with seltzer water in the proportions of your choosing.
In 1874 the classic syrup + seltzer combo got an upgrade with the invention of Ice Cream Sodas. Then, syrup, seltzer, and sweet cream combined for the first time, and the roots for the Dirty Soda trend were planted.
Whether you begin with a bottled soda such as Coke or Pepsi products and add syrup to it, or combine two different flavors of Simple Goodness Sisters syrups for a new blend of flavors, the trend allows for an infinite possibility of combinations. Soda Shops (like ours, the Simple Goodness Soda Shop, or the chains popping up in Utah offer "design your own drink" options as well as a menu of proven combos for tasty drinks. You can use any syrup, any cream, and any fruit or spice garnishes and end up with hundreds of Dirty Soda possibilities. At Simple Goodness Sisters, we like to root this nostalgic trend firmly in the modern era by offering unqiue, garden inspired flavors such as Rhubarb Vanilla Bean, Blueberry Lavender, and Lemon Herb. They're fun to try in classic cola or root beer combos, or they zing with refreshment when the syrup flavors stand alone. And where the tik tok trending sodas are often served in a big syrofoam cup, we never miss a chance to serve up something beautiful, and serve ours with garnishes in the glass or a pretty floral rim.
The recipes below demonstrate how the syrups can be added to classic colas or root beers for deliciously new combinations that will please your palette, or added to seltzer water alone for a lower sugar treat.
