The 'Utah Soda' Trend Has People Mixing Soft Drinks With Milk

Kasia Mikolajczak
soda being poured into a glass
Unsplash | Qasim Malick

If you're a fan of vintage stuff, you might have heard of soda shops that were popular back in the 1920s. But did you know that they still exist today? Aha! Apparently, the majority of them are in Utah.

And that's what sparked a recent TikTok trend that has people making "Utah Sodas." So let's find out what this phenomenon is all about.

What is a 'Utah soda'?

hand holding a bottle of soda
Unsplash | Fernando Andrade

Well, let me tell you all about it. "Utah soda" is a fizzy drink decked out with all sorts of stuff like coffee creamer and milk, for example. People also add other things like fresh fruits, flavored syrups, or even candy bits on top.

Wow!

This odd trend has become so popular that recently the hashtag #UtahSoda amassed over 7.8-million views. This came after a Utah-based TikToker, Taylor Blender, invited people to ask her any question about the Utah soda culture.

Who knew that was even a thing, huh?

Heidi Klum saying "wow"
Giphy | Lifetime

I certainly didn't, ha, ha. Blender explained to people that soda mixed with a variety of flavored syrups such as raspberry or peach and a coffee creamer was a standard way of making this colorful drink.

Apparently, these drinks are really popular in the state.

coffee creamer being poured on to make a design
Unsplash | Fahmi Fakhrudin

So much so that people even opt for it instead of their mid-day coffee pick-me-up. Is that so? I bet you're wondering how you can make one of these drinks yourself, huh? Well, it's pretty easy, really.

I've got a simple recipe for you.

woman making "dirty diet coke"
TikTok | @angelaaerial

One of the easiest Utah soda combinations is called 'Dirty Soda' or 'Dirty Diet Coke.' And as you might have guessed, it involves mixing cola with coffee creamer and a splash of lime.

Sounds fun to me.

woman looking at her laptop saying "yum."
Giphy | Schitt's Creek

But more adventurous TikTokers are swapping regular creamer for coconut-flavored creamer and adding such flavor combinations as grapefruit or guava. Yum, that sounds delicious, come to think of it, ha, ha.

You can also top it off with whipped cream.

Do you know what that's called? Utah residents call this version "sodie." Hmm! Basically, you can't go wrong with this idea. And as I said, this idea dates back to the 1920s when soda shops were very popular.

Here's a little history lesson for you:

man saying "now I get it."
Giphy | The Paley Center for Media

Utah has the largest Mormon population. And back in the day church leaders interpreted a book of scripture in the Latter-day Saints Church to mean that members should not drink hot beverages like tea and coffee in order to avoid habit-forming. So there was a need for alternative drinks and soda shops like Sodalicious and Swig opened for business in early 2010.

Aha, interesting.

Woman mixing a drink
TikTok | @bailey__reagan

So let me ask you: does soda with milk appeal to you? I don't know about that. I guess I would have to try it to see what the fuss is all about, ha, ha. Perhaps one of these days, when I'm feeling especially adventurous, I'll add some milk to my soda and let you know how it turned out. What do you think of that? Does it sound like a good deal?