Who knew that dirty soda, a trend popularized by the Mormon community in Utah, would make a splash in the Garden State?
With drinks like booze- and caffeine-free electric blue lemonades, fruity red concoctions and bubbly cola floats, dirty soda is here to stay as shops open across the state.
At its root, dirty soda—a drink that has gone viral on social media—is a soda you can customize with syrups, creamer and toppings and more.
New Jersey’s founding dirty soda shop, Drink Spot, opened at the beginning of the year in Belford, Monmouth County. The shop offers customizable drinks and a curated menu. You can order dirty sodas like the Quebec Fireside, a root beer enhanced with marshmallow syrup and cream, decorated with marshmallow drizzle.
Within the first four months of opening, owner Vicki Ford was already looking to expand and move the Drink Spot storefront two doors down. “It grew so quickly,” says Ford, noting the excitement from the community, not just Middletown but soda lovers across the state.
For the local business owner, Drink Spot started with a love for soda and as a way for Ford’s son, Evan, to gain some business experience for his resume. Now the shop has grown to about 30 seats, making Drink Spot a hangout destination rather than a grab-and-go style shop.
As dirty soda gains in popularity, Abby Taylor, an entrepreneur behind the Jersey Shore success story Playa Bowls, announced she will be opening the Bev Shack in Bradley Beach, which will have dirty sodas on offer, this season.
“I’ve always just kind of been interested in the beverage space that’s really blowing up,” says Taylor. “It excites me and it’s something that you can be really creative with.”
When Playa Bowl was just starting, acai was a new term to many customers. Dirty soda may see the same upward swing.
“At any point in the day you could have a little treat,” says Taylor. “I’m hoping that it becomes something that’s a part of their routine.”
Soda shops aren’t the only places you can get dirty soda in New Jersey. Ladyfingers Bakery + Bar in Bloomfield has opened the Fizz Bar inside the cafe where customers can order a dirty soda with brunch. Drink Spot partners with Olive & Oak in Oceanport to stock a do-it-yourself version of their sodas.
New Jersey also has multiple mobile dirty soda bars like Dirty Good NJ and the Salty Sip in South Jersey.
As the weather warms up, expect to find colorful refreshing sodas everywhere from the hands of beachgoers to brunch menus.
“Everybody finds it trendy, but I think it’s here to stay,” says Ford. “I’m not jumping on a trend. I’m doing it authentically.”
