NYC's First 'Dirty Soda' Shop, Cool Sips, Reviewed
If you haven't heard of this viral drink phenomenon, it involves combining fountain drinks with flavored syrups and creamers. The invention of dirty soda is largely credited to Swig, a dirty soda shop started in Saint George, Utah, in 2010.
Since 2010, Swig has expanded to over 100 locations across 15 states. So while dirty soda has been part of Utah/Mormon culture for a while now, most people heard about it for the first time while watching the Hulu reality series.
'Utah is like the land of the Mormon bar, which are all the soda shops that we have. There's one on every corner,' Jessi Ngatikaura explained in episode five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives when the cast members made a trip to Swig. 'It's kind of our vice,' MomToker Demi Engemann added.
Needless to say, reactions have been mixed.
Since the show's second season premiered this May, dirty soda is practically all the cast has been asked about. The members of MomTok recently reshared their go-to dirty soda orders with E! News, and cast members Taylor Frankie Paul and Whitney Levitt even made dirty soda on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
Since the show's premiere, many have been eager to see what dirty soda is all about, including me. Many have posted themselves trying this viral soda craze, either by DIYing their drink, taking a trip to Swig, or getting one at another chain.
While we don't have Swig in New York, we do have Cool Sips, New York's only dedicated dirty soda shop. The first Cool Sips location opened by Rockefeller Center in March 2024, six months before SLOMW premiered (talk about timing). Since then, they've opened two locations: one in the Seaport and one on the Upper East Side, whicvh just opened this April.
Of course, I had to check it out. So on a sunny day in New York, I sauntered over to Cool Sips' Upper East Side location.
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The shop was small, but not uncomfortably so, with three tables and a subtle surfer vibe. As I headed inside, some Youths™ were just leaving, which made me think how it's probably a great place for kids to go after school, much like how boba shops in New York have been.
Cool Sips can actually be seen on a TODAY Show segment where Jessi and co-star Layla Taylor make dirty sodas live. Not all the ingredients they used were available on the Cool Sips menu, so I went for one SLOMW cast order and two of the store's other most popular drinks.
I placed a pickup order on the app a few minutes before I got there, and they were ready when I arrived (score!).
As I made my way to a table to try my drinks, I couldn't help but wonder, 'will MomTok survive this?!'
Of course, I had to try MomTok Queen Taylor Frankie Paul's favorite dirty soda, which is Dr. Pepper, coconut, lime, and vanilla cream. This is also Jen Affleck's order, and similar to Jessi's.
While I know some people freak out over the idea of creamer in their soda, since I've had things like egg creams and root beer floats, it wasn't outlandish to me. Cool Sips had a similar drink, one of their most popular orders called the 'Dirty Dirty.' All I had to do was substitute the half and half for vanilla cream to get the MomTok experience. I also opted for diet soda and sugar-free syrups.
My friend who tagged along for the trip made a really good point that the Dirty Dirty looked exactly like an iced coffee — considering dirty soda is a substitute for coffee of sorts, could this be intentional? I thought I knew what this flavor was going to taste like. I was wrong. While I assumed the taste would be really dynamic, in reality, all the flavors blended together. I couldn't taste the lime or vanilla at all — I just got a creamy, vague soda taste.
On to other Cool Sips favorites. I tried the Dewey, made with Starry Lemon-Lime, pineapple, and coconut. Like with the Dirty Dirty, I subbed sugar-free syrups. This was my favorite of the three flavors — it tasted like Fanta Piña Colada and was super-refreshing. I could imagine the soda being really satisfying on a hot day.
The last flavor I tried was the Tybee, one of their 'Stuffed Sips.' This drink featured Orange Gatorade, strawberry, vanilla cream, and strawberry jellies. I once more went for sugar-free syrup and confirmed with the store that the jellies don't contain gelatin. Gelatin is typically made from pig collagen, so it can be an issue for vegetarians/vegans or for those who avoid pork for religious reasons.
Technically not a soda, my first thought about this flavor is that you really have to like orange Gatorade to like this flavor. The Gatorade-ness of it all was strong — I would have preferred the drink with orange soda for the taste and carbonation. I also couldn't taste the cream.
However, I did like the combination of orange and strawberry, which together almost tasted like grapefruit. And I loved the large, chewy, strawberry jellies.
So, would I go back to NYC's dirty soda shop? Next time I need a spot to go to to catch up with a friend or have a meeting at, I'm definitely going to suggest Cool Sips. After all, coffee shops can get a little boring. While the sodas aren't cheap, they're not far off from New York café prices.
l'd also love to try more flavors or even make my own custom one. I feel closer to MomTok now, all without ever leaving New York.
Would you try dirty soda? Let us know what you think about the trend in the comments. And for hundreds of thirst-quenching drink recipes you can make in the comfort of your own home, download the free Tasty app to access our library of 7,500+ recipes — no subscription required.
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