Whitney Leavitt Reveals Recipe for Favorite Dirty Soda — and It’s a Unique Blend of Fruit Flavors
Whitney Leavitt, a cast member of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, has been named Chief Creative and Brand Officer of Cool Sips, a New York City-based soda shop — bringing the dirty soda trend that’s been flooding social media feeds from its Utah roots to the national stage.
Leavitt’s first move in the role: a signature drink called The Whitney, now available at four Manhattan locations. The announcement marks a turning point for dirty sodas, which have gone from a regional habit in Utah to a growing cultural phenomenon fueled by reality TV and social media.
What’s Behind the Dirty Soda Buzz
A dirty soda is a customized soft drink that’s been “dirtied up” with extra flavors and mix-ins. Instead of drinking a plain cola or Sprite, you add flavored syrups like vanilla, coconut or raspberry, plus cream, half-and-half, fruit juices or lime wedges. The result is a sweeter, richer drink — somewhere between a soda and a mocktail.
The trend has strong roots in Utah, where a large population avoids alcohol and specialty soda shops became social gathering spots. Swig, a chain that started in Utah, became one of the most recognized names in the space.
The Whitney is built on a base of club soda with sugar-free pineapple, peach and vanilla syrups, lime syrup and raspberry purée. It’s bright, fruit-forward and notably lighter than many dirty soda recipes that lean on cream or half-and-half.
“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,” Leavitt told Food & Wine.
How Reality TV Fueled the Dirty Soda Craze
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives gave dirty sodas a national audience. Cast members are frequently seen grabbing oversized custom drinks while socializing, running errands or hanging out — treating them like an everyday lifestyle staple.
That kind of constant, casual visibility resonated with viewers. People outside Utah suddenly saw how customizable the drinks are, how central they are to social life and how visually appealing the colorful cups and creative combinations look.
“Six out of the seven days of the week, I’m having at least one 44-ounce soda,” cast member Layla Taylor admitted. “I’m probably only going to live to like 50, but it makes me happy.”
Cast member Demi Engemann offered another perspective: “We don’t drink alcohol or do drugs, so it’s kind of our vice.”
The result was a wave of curiosity. Viewers started making their own versions at home, sought out soda shops and documented their dirty soda experiments on social media — turning what was once a regional niche into a broader pop culture phenomenon.
How to Make Your Own Dirty Soda
For anyone looking to try the trend at home, Leavitt shared a simple approach to building a custom dirty soda.
“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 said.
The basic formula is straightforward: pick a carbonated base, add flavored syrups to taste and finish with a fruit purée or juice for depth. Club soda keeps it lighter, while a cola or cream soda base makes it richer.
Why This Trend Keeps Growing
Dirty sodas sit at the intersection of several things people are gravitating toward right now: customization, alcohol-free social drinks and visually shareable food culture. The move from Utah soda shops to a Manhattan storefront with a reality TV star at the helm signals this is no longer a regional curiosity — it’s a cultural export that has moved well beyond its origins.
For South Florida residents already familiar with the mocktail movement and a food scene that thrives on bold flavors and colorful presentation, the dirty soda trend fits naturally into an evolving landscape of customizable, nonalcoholic drink options.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
