SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — If you’re new to Utah (or visiting), you might notice shops like Swig, Thirst, Fiiz, Quench It, and Sodalicious.
Why does it feel like these shops outnumber shops like Starbucks or Beans and Brews? What are these shops anyway?
Swig, Fiiz, Quench It, and Sodalicious all sell what’s known as “dirty soda,” a craze that started around 2010, according to Utah Tourism. Utah is home to dirty soda but the original shop is still up for debate.
The beverage is made by starting with a base of a regular soda (think of all your favorite brands) and adding flavored syrups, juices, or fruit purees. Another way to think of it is homemade soda flavors.
Why are there so many soda shops?
Due to the stance of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the LDS Church) on “hot drinks” and “strong drinks,” members are called to abstain from these beverages. These types of drinks include coffee, tea, and alcohol, and members are discouraged from drinking them under the Church’s doctrine called “the Word of Wisdom.”
Utah has one of the largest LDS populations in the U.S., with members making up roughly 42% of the state’s population according to a 2023 study. Utah, California, Idaho, and Arizona are the top four states in LDS Church population according to the Church’s website, which is where many of these soda shops are located.
Contrary to the popular belief that members of the LDS church were not allowed to have caffeine, the Word of Wisdom never mentions caffeine. The Church offered additional clarification on the Word of Wisdom in a 2012 article from the Church Newsroom.
“The Church revelation spelling out health practices (D&C 89) does not mention the use of caffeine. The Church’s health guidelines prohibit alcoholic drinks, smoking or chewing of tobacco, and “hot drinks” — taught by Church leaders to refer specifically to tea and coffee,” the article said. Now, the teaching was clear, members of the LDS Church can have caffeine.
The craze of dirty soda has even seeped outside of the I-15 corridor, with dirty soda shops popping up in Oklahoma, Texas, and several other states.
What is the Word of Wisdom?
According to one of the Church’s books of scripture (called the Doctrine and Covenants) the founder of the Latter-day Saint movement, Joseph Smith, was in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1833 when he received what members say to be a revelation from God.
In Section 89 of D&C, the use of wine, strong drinks (also known as alcoholic beverages), tobacco, and hot drinks (tea and coffee) became restricted by God. Also within section 89, the use of herbs, meats, fruits, and grains is ordained of use for all of God’s children.
This “health code” for members of the Church became known as the “Word of Wisdom.” The name was drawn from the first words of the first verse.
Pop culture picks up dirty soda
While the popularity of dirty soda soared in Utah, the dirty soda craze stayed relatively quiet nationwide until December 2021 when Olivia Rodrigo posted an Instagram photo holding a dirty soda from a local Utah shop, Swig.
Rodrigo was one of the leads of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a redux of the High School Musical movie series.
The #dirtysoda hashtag got millions of views on TikTok and other social media platforms and Utah’s secret was out. A short time later, Swig expanded to several states. Now, Swig has several hundred stores nationwide, including stores to be built in Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, and Indiana.
Fiiz has also enjoyed a nice rise to dirty soda stardom as they have gone nationwide with stores in Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Ohio, and North Carolina.
In recent years, Coffee Mate joined the dirty soda craze by releasing a “dirty soda coconut lime flavored creamer.” More recently, Allrecipes called dirty soda “the ‘it’ drink of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”