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Two glasses of cola dirty soda with cream, ice, and fresh lime wedges

Dirty Soda

Dirty soda is a fun, customizable drink that combines fizzy soda with flavored syrup, cream, and fresh citrus.
This classic version uses cola, coconut syrup, lime juice, and cream for a sweet, bubbly drink with a rich tropical twist and the nostalgic feel of an old-fashioned soda fountain treat.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings: 1
Course: Beverages, Drinks
Cuisine: American
Calories: 255
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups cold cola
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • 2 tbsp coconut-flavored syrup
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp half-and-half or heavy cream
  • 1 lime wedge for garnish

Equipment

  • Tall 16–20 oz drinking glass
  • Measuring spoons
  • Liquid measuring cup optional
  • Citrus juicer or reamer optional; you can also squeeze the lime by hand
  • Straw or long-handled spoon

Method
 

  1. Prepare the glass
    Fill a tall 16–20 oz glass with about 1 cup of ice cubes, then pour the coconut syrup over the ice.
    Ice cubes being poured into a tall glass for dirty soda
  2. Add the lime juice
    Pour in 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice to balance the sweetness with a bright, tangy flavor.
    Fresh lime juice being poured over ice in a glass for dirty soda.
  3. Pour in the cola
    Slowly add the cold cola, leaving a little room at the top of the glass to prevent overflowing.
    Cold cola being poured over ice into a glass for dirty soda.
  4. Add the cream and mix
    Slowly drizzle the half-and-half or heavy cream over the soda, then gently stir with a straw or long spoon until combined.
    Cream being poured into a glass of cola dirty soda with ice and lime
  5. Garnish and serve
    Add a lime wedge to the rim of the glass and serve immediately while cold, creamy, and fizzy.

Video

Notes

For the best dirty soda, chill the cola thoroughly before assembling the drink. Cold soda keeps the ice from melting too quickly and prevents the finished drink from becoming watery.
Half-and-half produces a smooth and creamy drink without being overly heavy. For a richer, almost dessert-like dirty soda, use heavy cream instead.
Pour the cola and cream slowly. Carbonation combined with citrus and dairy can create considerable foam, particularly when the glass is already full of ice.
For a less-sweet version, reduce the coconut syrup to 1 tablespoon. You can also use a zero-sugar cola and sugar-free flavored syrup.
Dirty soda is extremely customizable. Try vanilla, cherry, raspberry, strawberry, peach, pineapple, caramel, or almond syrup in place of coconut. Cola can also be swapped for root beer, lemon-lime soda, orange soda, or a Dr Pepper-style soda.
For a dairy-free dirty soda, use coconut cream, oat creamer, almond creamer, or another plant-based coffee creamer.