The Dirty Soda Craze Goes National as Whitney Leavitt Joins NYC's Cool Sips Chain
If you jumped on the baked feta pasta wave or tracked down birria tacos at their peak, dirty soda deserves a spot on your radar.
The customizable, cream-spiked soda trend has officially gone from social media feeds to brick-and-mortar shops in Manhattan — and it’s easier to make at home than you might think.
To make matters even more entertaining, the craze is being spearheaded by The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt, and she’s letting everyone know about it.
What Is a Dirty Soda?
A dirty soda is a customizable beverage made by mixing traditional fountain soda with flavored syrups, creamer (half-and-half or heavy cream) and sometimes fresh fruit or lime.
Think of it as a cousin to the classic egg cream, but built on flavored soda instead of seltzer water.
The original dirty soda recipe is straightforward: Diet Coke, heavy cream, coconut-flavored syrup and lime. From there, the combinations are virtually endless — and that customization is the whole point.
A Viral Dirty Soda Recipe Gets Its Own Menu Spot
Leavitt, the 32-year-old MomTok star, was recently named Chief Creative and Brand Officer of Cool Sips, a NYC-based soda shop chain with four locations in Manhattan.
Her role focuses on menu innovation, new flavor combinations and developing “Signature Sips.”
Her first creation, “The Whitney,” is already available. It uses club soda as its base combined with sugar-free pineapple syrup, sugar-free peach syrup, sugar-free vanilla syrup, lime syrup and raspberry purée.
“I’ve been ordering versions of this recipe for a long time, so being able to bring one of my personal, viral combinations to life as a signature sip as my first order of business at Cool Sips feels like a full-circle moment,” she told Food & Wine in an interview published April 8.
Whitney Leavitt’s 5 Golden Rules for Building a Dirty Soda
In an interview with Delish in January 2026, Leavitt detailed her five golden rules for creating the best dirty soda:
- Pebble ice is non-negotiable. The small, chewable ice makes all the difference in texture.
- Start with a strong base. Leavitt prefers seltzer water, but club soda or fountain soda also work well.
- Make it sweet with syrup or coconut cream.
- Perfect the proportions. Taste as you go and adjust as needed.
- Add some flair with a mint, lemon or lime garnish.
“Dirty Soda is all about customization, and that’s really what’s driven its popularity across the country,” she told Food & Wine.
“If you love piña coladas, you could add pineapple and coconut syrup into your base of choice. It’s designed to be really approachable but also super personalized,” she added.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
This story was originally published April 10, 2026 at 3:30 PM.
