Sober hipsters are getting their kicks this summer with unusual 'dirty soda' concoctions - as one of the UK's biggest festivals adds them to the menu

Daily Mail​

04-07-2025

For years, an ice cold Diet Coke or can of sparkling water has been the go-to drink for anyone avoiding alcohol on a night out.
But it seems people staying sober are increasingly opting for 'dirty' soda instead of a good old can of pop to add a bit of excitement while on a night out - or even the school run.
This means sober people are adding pickles, cream, sweets and even jalapenos to their fizzy drinks to create a 'dirty soda' a phenomenon that started among Mormon groups in Utah and has since gone global.
Dirty soda is made up of regular soft drink with flavoured syrups, juices, or fruit purees.
Fans of dirty soda include Dua Lipa - who went viral for her 'pickle Diet Coke' in October - and the cast of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, a hit show on Disney Plus, who have made 'soda bar' Swig in Salt Lake City world famous.
Now, British Summer Time in Hyde Park which attracts nearly half a million visitors over a series of concerts each year, has launched a soda bar featuring a pickle-tini and strawberries and cream soft drink.
The bar, run by American Express, the headline sponsor of BST, also includes cherry cola with cream.
Gen Z and millennial Brits are more adventurous with food than other generations, according to new research by Amex with 62 per cent of Gen Zs experimenting with different flavour combinations.
The AmEx menu includes (pictured): Jalapeño Spice – a zesty twist of lime soda, sweet agave and jalapeño syrup, topped with a fresh jalapeño slice Strawberries & Cream – a fresh and tangy lemon soda layered with strawberry syrup and topped with velvety glitter infused vanilla cream Pickle-tini – a bold mix of lemonade, soda, sliced pickle, and a splash of olive brine Melon Smash – refreshing melon soda meets watermelon syrup, with a swirl of lime cream or vegan foam and a lime garnish, topped with pink edible glitter Cheeky Cherry – cherry cola infused with cherry syrup and vanilla cream or vegan foam, topped with a fresh cherry
The two generations are also the most likely to avoid alcohol, with a whopping 27 per cent of UK adults are now non-drinkers, according to a survey of 2,000 adults.
That figure jumps to 36 per cent for under 25s, according to research by ad firm Red Brick Road.
The trend is popular on both sides of the Atlantic, with the rise of the trend no doubt part down to the success of the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
The series, which airs on Disney Plus and Hulu, sees women living in Utah visit many of the states 'soda shops'.
The LDS Church health law called the Word of Wisdom requires members to abstain from 'hot drinks' and 'strong drinks,' but they're allowed to drink caffeinated sodas.
None of these ingredients break the LDS Church health guidelines, and celebrities like Glastonbury headliner Olivia Rodrigo and Lindsay Lohan have praised 'dirty sodas'.
More than 3.75 million tags across social media featuring countless creative flavour combinations have appeared in recent years.
The 'dirty soda' trend became popular in shops around 2010, according to Utah Tourism.
Swig, Fiiz, Quench It, and Sodalicious are just some of the chains that currently sell dirty soda.
Besides Utah, several soda shops are located in California, Idaho, and Arizona - three of the top four states in LDS Church population, according to its website.
Dirty sodas generally are non-alcoholic drinks, as booze is forbidden according to LDS Church guidelines.
Pepsi even ran a campaign advertising 'Pilk' encouraging customers to mix Pepsi and milk.
Olivia Rodrigo was credited to be one of the celebrities who helped make the 'dirty soda' trend popular
Last year, Dua Lipa sent fans wild after she shared her secret Diet Coke recipe.
The star received a rather split reaction after she added a dash of both pickle and jalapeno juice to her diet coke.
Taking to TikTok to share the strange combination she began: 'Step one, diet coke and then pickle juice, then a couple of pickles.'
But it didn't stop there as the star went on to grab the container of jalapenos as she continued: 'And then some jalapeno sauce. Then a couple of jalapenos.'
Whipping up the crazy concoction she realised: 'Everyone is staring at me. The lady in the back is like "What the hell is she doing?".'
Giving the drink a little mix Dua's friends seemed to have varying opinions on the drink as one grimaced at the sharp pickle taste.
Amex's Soda Bar appears to be the first time 'dirty soda' has officially been sold in the UK.
It includes flavour pairings inspired by Gen Z's thirst for bold taste blends, including Jalapeño Spice, Pickle-tini and Watermelon Smash – exclusively available for Amex Cardmembers and their guests to purchase at The Amex Experience from Friday 27 June to Sunday 13 July
The menu of sensational sodas has been curated by TikTok food creator of the year, Cripandip.
Famed for her viral social videos showcasing bold and adventurous food and drink creations, Maddi Neye-Swift applied her signature culinary creativity to co-create an exciting blend of soda recipes with Amex – spanning sweet, savoury, spicy, salty and sour taste sensations.
The mouth-watering soda recipes were inspired by research commissioned by Amex which revealed that sweet flavours topped Gen Z's list of favourite food groups (54 per cent ), while one in three (34 per cent) preferred spicy, with fusion flavours also making a strong showing (31 per cent).
In fact, one in 10 Gen Zs would consider adding ingredients such as olives (12 per cent) or jalapenos (9 per cent), with 7 per cent opting for sliced pickles.
Maddi Neye-Smith, aka Cripandip, said: 'I'm so excited to have created these bold, distinctive soda flavours – and to showcase them at The Soda Bar at The Amex Experience. I've loved embracing my creativity to come up with these fun flavour combinations with some of my favourite ingredients. I can't wait to see festivalgoers discover the menu and I hope everyone will be obsessed with the delicious flavours!'
Aaron Burke, VP Marketing, Global Brand Sponsorships at American Express, said: 'We're thrilled to be back as headline sponsor for a fourth year at American Express presents BST Hyde Park. We are passionate about creating meaningful memories for our Cardmembers and music fans through immersive activations that will enhance their festival experience. Cardmembers can enjoy perks including a 5% spend discount across the festival and access to exclusive Cardmember merch lanes. This year's Amex Experience is the perfect place to make memories that will last long after the music stops, to try some new flavour combinations at the Soda Bar and to enjoy epic views of the Great Oak Stage.'
London's celebrated festival, American Express presents BST Hyde Park, features a series of wold class headliners across the summer.
Last week it kicked off with Olivia Rodrigo, who wowed fans by bringing out Ed Sheeran just two-days before she wowed 200,000 people at Glastonbury.
Country stars Zach Bryan followed with two dates on 28 & 29 June.
This Friday, American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan (4 July) will be back followed by two days of Sabrina Carpenter (5 & 6 July). Fellow Glastonbury headliner neil young and the chrome hearts will appear on the 11 July, while Stevie Wonder will wow crowds on 12 July and Jeff Lynne's ELO will close out on 13 July.
Each show will feature a full day of music across three stages; The Great Oak Stage, The Rainbow Stage presented by British Airways and The Birdcage Stage. Between the weekends, Open House will return this summer for eight days of activities and free entry in the heart of Hyde Park.
The Amex Experience
This year, The Amex Experience invites festivalgoers to enter a vibrant house filled with extra touches designed to turn fleeting feelings into unforgettable core memories and make shared experiences even more rewarding. Key highlights of The Amex Experience include:
Amex Lounge and Bar: a nostalgic throwback party space with a claw machine, a surprise-triggering 'Remote of Control', and the Drinks Cabinet Bar – adding another layer of delight to the festival refreshment experience
Bag Customisation: a festival fashion lab where attendees pick out an exclusive festival crossbody bag – free for Cardmembers – and heat-press it with one of seven headliner-inspired unique patches
The Garden: featuring The Mailbox, a playful prize draw station with VIP upgrades, backstage tours, as well as exclusive merch
Photobooths: styled like a headliner's home studio, complete with wide-angle lens and instant printouts to take home
Onsite there are also:
Exclusive Cardmember Discount and Perks: Eligible Cardmembers receive 5% off all purchases site-wide at the festival4, as well as a complimentary re-usable water bottle – also available all festivalgoers during happy hours – redeemable from Amex Kiosks.5
Cardmember Merch Lane6: Music lovers looking to snap up festival merch get access to Cardmember-only lanes across merch tents sitewide.