The Birthplace of the Dirty Soda 

Out on the trail in Greater Zion, you might hear:

“Let’s get a Swig!” or “Bro. Have you tried it with gummy sharks? Life-changing.” 

This isn’t code. It’s part of Greater Zion culture. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely heard about dirty soda. The drink that took over TikTok, showed up on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and landed on menus from coast to coast started right in St. George, Utah.

From Idea to Cultural Phenomenon

The dirty soda is a classic fountain drink, like Dr. Pepper or Coke, remixed with flavored syrups, cream, and fresh fruit purées. Before it was a full-blown cultural phenomenon, it was an idea at a small drive-thru soda shop in St. George, Utah.

In 2010, Nicole Tanner opened Swig in a 700-square-foot shack across from what is now Utah Tech University. The concept was simple: fast, fun drinks inspired by the kind of ice-cold Coke you’d grab at your grandparents’ house, but with a customized twist. The Dirty Dr. Pepper, Dr. Pepper with coconut syrup and cream, became the signature item. Lines wrapped around the building almost immediately. And they’ve been growing ever since.

The menu has evolved, too. For the non-soda crowd, Swig serves refreshers, sweet teas, energy-boosted revivers, and even frozen hot chocolate. The refreshers are light, fruity, non-carbonated drinks made with water. Watching your sugar intake? There are sugar-free syrups and low-calorie options across the menu. And the food side holds its own — warm, salted pretzel bites with dipping sauces balance out the sweet stuff, alongside their famous frosted sugar cookies and rotating seasonal treats.

While we’re talking about Greater Zion originals, that iconic pink sugar cookie you see at every dirty soda shop originated here, too, at Dutchman’s Market. The frosted sugar cookie and the dirty soda are basically a package deal at this point, and Greater Zion is where both were born.

Nothing Beats the Original

This tiny soda shop sparked something bigger than a menu item. It launched a whole category of drinks. Today, dirty soda shops have popped up across the country, and Swig has expanded into multiple states with hundreds of new locations in the works. 

But here’s the thing about trends: there’s nothing like going to the source. 

Ordering from the original Swig carries a certain energy. You pull up, create your own combination, and argue with your passenger about whether coconut or blue raspberry is the better call. (It’s coconut. But you should try both.)

Grab some friends, grab a visitor guide, and plan your one-of-a-kind dirty soda experience. And when you’re done, explore the other sweet treats in Greater Zion.