- McDonald's will introduce a new lineup of six specialty drinks on May 6.
- The drinks weren't called "dirty sodas" explicitly by the company, but other media outlets have noticed the connection.
- Nationwide chains like Dunkin' and Sonic have also embraced the Utah-originated "dirty soda" trend.
SALT LAKE CITY — McDonald's announced this week it would introduce a new lineup of six specialty drinks on May 6. In the announcement, the fast-food giant said "fans have always had a special connection" to drinks at McDonald's, especially Sprite, Diet Coke and Hi-C Orange Lavaburst.
While the announcement did not explicitly call the new drinks "dirty sodas," some media outlets could not help but notice the connection.
The announcement has left some confused, wondering what a dirty soda is.
Like Charlie Hiker on X, who asked what the iconic Utah drink is. "I'm apparently old now. What is a dirty soda? What's a refresher?"
But Utahns need no explanation.
How long have dirty sodas been a trend in Utah?
As Beehive Staters know, dirty soda is a trend that's taken over the state for more than 15 years, according to visitutah.com, when Swig opened its first store in St. George.
Shortly after, several different soda shops began popping up, including Sodalicious, Fiiz, Thirst, Quench It, Sip-N and Sodamix, capitalizing on the trend often associated with Latter-day Saint culture, and seen on the Hulu reality series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," according to Fortune.
Similar to an Italian soda, the product uses heavy creams, flavored syrups and candy pieces in soft drinks like Sprite, Dr Pepper, Coke and other popular drinks. Often seen as an alternative to alcohol and coffee, which members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are encouraged to avoid, dirty sodas with caffeine have kept Utahns coming back again and again.
If you have not had an opportunity to try the popular drink, Swig made a list of suggestions for different types of drinks, including Sprite and Dr Pepper. With names like "Spring Fling," "Big Booty Judy" and "Hula Girl," the names tend to lean into the "dirty" part of the drink's name.
Now, dirty sodas are beginning to be known on a national scale.
Dunkin' Donuts, Ziggi's Coffee, Sonic and now McDonald's are some of the nationwide chains offering the drink with Utah origins.
Sip meets style
McDonald's new lineup did not get as creative with its names for its drink menu, but it does share a similar enthusiasm for the product.
"Our fans have an obsession with beverages — to them, drinks are more than just drinks. And soon, our beverages won't just be a reason you come to McDonald's, they'll be the reason," Alyssa Buetikofer, chief marketing and customer experience officer, McDonald's USA, said. "We've taken the time to get this right, introducing new drinks that are hand-crafted with bold flavors and quality ingredients our fans can taste in every sip."
The lineup includes six new flavors McDonald's fans will soon enjoy:
- Strawberry Watermelon Refresher
- Mango Pineapple Refresher
- Blackberry Passion Fruit Refresher
- Sprite Berry Blast
- Orange Dream
- Dirty Dr Pepper
Along with the new drinks, McDonald's teamed up with Susan Alexandra to offer fashion with your specialty drink. When the menu comes out, beaded drink holders will be sold for consumers to sip their favorite flavor in style. The drink holders come in six different colors to match each drink.
Fan reaction
On a post by Dexerto, plenty of people have reacted to the new McDonald's adoption. Some were curious what a "dirty" Dr Pepper is, or questioned if it could even be good.
When they say dirty... please I want more understanding.
— Yahaya Emmanuel (@ugwaemma16) April 28, 2026
what do they mean dirty soda man, who will drink this trash pic.twitter.com/d2OGDFciBV
— uMashali (@heismarshalls) April 28, 2026
Cream in a Dr Pepper? My stomach is already calling out of work tomorrow just looking at this pic.twitter.com/DLN88WgYyG
— Ayush Barnwal | Building (@Col_ASY) April 28, 2026
the sprite is probably gas
— 𖣐 (@tenj1ro) April 28, 2026
This reaction by Biv brings up what may be a past trauma of attempts trying to get multiple custom dirty soda orders right.
Me taking the Utah moms custom dirty soda orders after I've made dozens in the past hour (movie theater employee not barista btw) pic.twitter.com/9j99ArpgO2
— biv (@CollectiveDear) April 28, 2026
Soon, the country will find out what Utah has been raving about.
