Photo by Carly Cooper
The road to dirty soda’s popularity is a meandering one. In the Southeast, many people first heard the term during the Covid-19 pandemic, after spending more time online. MomTok, the now-infamous viral chat group that included Taylor Frankie Paul and Whitney Leavitt, turned dirty soda into a personality trait. At the same time, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo posted a photo of herself with a Swig cup, bringing further attention to the trend. Then in 2024, Hulu released the hit show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, in which participants drink soda as a religiously acceptable substitute for alcohol and coffee.
But dirty soda chain Swig was serving these fruit- and cream-laden concoctions for more than a decade before TikTok took it viral. Swig president Todd Smith says the company pioneered the beverage category. “We’ve been doing this successfully for 16 years,” he says. “We pride ourselves on inventive, creative drinks, and no matter who you are, you can find a drink you love at Swig.”
Now Atlantans can try it out for themselves. Starting October 1, Swig is open on Ashford-Dunwoody Road in Brookhaven. Primarily a drive-through-focused business, this location features a small lobby with a handful of tables. It serves fully customizable dirty sodas, water-based “Refreshers,” and energy drinks, as well as frozen hot chocolate, pretzel bites, and cookies. A grand opening celebration with complimentary drinks and mini chocolate chip cookies will welcome guests October 16-17.
Photo by Carly Cooper
The brand has grown to 175 locations across 17 states. Smith says he hopes to have more than 40 in metro Atlanta alone! Plans are already in the works for Woodstock, Kennesaw, Buford, Cumming, and Snellville.
Smith attributes some of the company’s success to the “day makers” who work the drive-through, looking each customer in the eye and offering a friendly, personalized experience a la Chick-fil-A. “Their job is to notice if they are celebrating something or need a pick-me-up,” he explains.
Wondering what to order? We taste-tested five Swig drinks to find out which ones are worth a sip.
The Founder
The drink that started it all, The Founder is a mix of Diet Coke, fresh lime, sugar-free coconut syrup, and coconut cream. It’s refreshing without being too sweet. It still tastes like Diet Coke, just enhanced.
Best for: Diet Coke girlies
Beach Babe
Photo by Carly Cooper
A tropical concoction with a Mountain Dew base, Beach Babe tastes like a tiki cocktail, sans alcohol. Raspberry, peach, and vanilla cream blend surprisingly well into the sugary soda, giving it a smooth finish.
Best for: Sunny days spent at the pool
Texas Tab
Photo by Carly Cooper
The most popular drink after The Founder, Texas Tab is a good gateway drink. With Dr. Pepper, vanilla, and coconut cream, it’s root beer at its finest.
Best for: First-timers
Strawberry Breeze
Photo by Carly Cooper
My favorite of the bunch, Strawberry Breeze uses a sparkling water base for a lower-calorie treat and adds sugar-free coconut, sugar-free vanilla, strawberry puree, frozen strawberry, and coconut cream. Creamy with chunks of fruit, it tastes like strawberry shortcake in a cup!
Best for: Diet-friendly dessert
Cabana Colada
Photo by Carly Cooper
Punch-in-the-face sweet, the Cabana Colada features Swig Energy for a caffeine boost. Add to that sugar-free pineapple, sugar-free coconut, mango puree, coconut cream, and ginger ale, and you’ve got a sparkly juice that takes a special palate to stomach.
Best for: Gamers trying to power through
