If you’ve already watched The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, you’ve probably heard about 'dirty soda' and wondered what the heck it actually tastes like.
If you haven’t checked out the show yet, it follows a group of Salt Lake City mom-fluencers as they navigate a wild ride of drama while breaking down the stigma of being connected to the Mormon church.
One of the rules some of the ladies stick to is no alcohol. So instead, they hit up their local soda shops including, Swig, to indulge in the most over-the-top flavoured drinks you've ever heard of.
We’re talking strange concoctions like Mountain Dew mixed with cream and blue Powerade… it’s really not what you’d ever bring yourself to do otherwise.
Well, curiosity got the better of me, and I simply HAD to recreate each of the gals’ go-to orders. Some were simply delish, while others were a little too out-the-gate.
I’ve got the recipes for how to whip up The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Swig drinks right here in NZ, and they’ve all been taste-tested, so you know exactly what to expect.
Taylor Frankie Paul
Ingredients:
Mountain Dew - 1/3 glass
Blue Powerade - 1/3 glass
Sprite - 1/3 glass
Cream - 1 shot
Optional: Vanilla syrup
Taylor orders the famous US drink, Mountain Dew Baja Blast and adds coffee sweet creamer. Unfortunately, we don’t get either of those here in NZ, so I did some digging.
It turns out you can make it with equal parts Blue Powerade, Sprite, and Mountain Dew (obviously). Chuck in some cream, and you've got the Taylor Paul special. I gave it a go, and it was actually pretty decent. The soda on its own is super refreshing, but the cream adds a smooth texture. I reckon a splash of vanilla syrup could give it the Baja Blast it needs to be a real winner.
Layla Taylor
Ingredients:
Mountain Dew - glass
Strawberry syrup - I cheated and used raspberry - 1 shot
Mango nectar - 1 shot
Coconut cream - 1 shot
I might have cheated a bit by using raspberry syrup instead of strawberry, but as a huge fan of traffic light spiders from family dinners in the early 2000s, this drink took me right back.
The tropical flavours mixed with the coconut cream gave it a bougie fruit smoothie vibe, with a nice bit of fizz.
Demi Engemann
Ingredients:
Sparkling Water - glass (save some space for syrups)
Vanilla syrup - half shot
Raspberry syrup - half shot
Pineapple syrup/juice - half shot
Coconut cream - 1 shot
I don’t know what Demi was thinking... I mean, I see her vision, but maybe the ingredients I used didn’t quite do her justice.
I had a few people at Edge HQ try it, and the feedback was a real mixed bag. Some loved it, comparing it to Coconut Ice lollies with the raspberry and coconut vibes, while others thought it tasted like cough medicine — definitely an acquired taste.
If you’re making this, try to find pineapple-flavoured syrup instead of taking your chances with juice like I did. As crazy as it may sound, the juice was almost too accurate and gave it a bit of an acidic kick.
Mikayla Matthews
Ingredients:
Soda water - glass
Raspberry syrup - shot
Pineapple syrup/juice - shot
Coconut cream - shot
Mikayla’s version is basically the same as Demi’s, just without the vanilla. A small tweak, but it definitely made it taste a bit more refreshing. The juice actually made this one stand out as a fruitier mix.
Not my personal fave, but we’ll give her the snaps she deserves!
Mayci Neeley
Ingredients:
Dr Pepper - glass
Raspberry syrup - shot
Vanilla syrup - shot
Coconut cream - shot
If you’ve ever wondered what America tastes like in a cup, I reckon Mayci’s order comes pretty damn close! Since first trying this mix, I have been OBSESSED. It’s quite literally every flavour you’d pair with cola, all in one glass.
The fruity cherry and raspberry blend suuuper well, and adding creamy coconut cream and vanilla syrup takes it to the next level.
I also got the Edge HQ team to give this one a whirl and it was - for the most part - an all-round 10/10 - even convincing the Dr Pepper haters to go back for more!
Jessi Ngatikaura
Ingredients:
Dr Pepper - glass
Vanilla syrup - shot
Coconut cream - shot
Jessi knows what’s up. While she skips the raspberry syrup, her drink still ranks high on my list.
I’ve been going back and forth between Jessi’s and Mayci’s drinks almost every day since I first whipped them up. They’re so addictive, and I totally get why the gals regularly down a 44oz of these things—delicious!
The best part about Swig and their dirty sodas is that they’re totally customizable to suit whoever’s drinking them. You can add more, less, or whatever other flavours tickle your fancy.
Get creative and let me know what brilliant concoctions you come up with!
