The Founder Dirty Soda Recipe (Swig Copycat)
The Founder dirty soda recipe is Swig's original: Diet Coke, coconut simple syrup, fresh lime, and heavy cream over crushed ice. Ready in 5 minutes. The drink that started the Utah dirty soda trend -- and the easiest to make at home once you know the two things that go wrong.
Servings 1 glass
Calories 140kcal
Cost $2
Equipment
- 1 Tall glass (16 oz) Chilled in freezer 10 minutes before use
- 1 Spoon For pouring cream without breaking carbonation
Ingredients
For the Drink
- 12 oz Diet Coke 1 can -- must be very cold, refrigerated at least 2 hours
- 2 tbsp coconut simple syrup Torani coconut syrup or homemade -- NOT coconut cream from a can
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice From about half a lime -- never bottled
- 2 tbsp heavy cream or half-and-half Let sit at room temperature 5 minutes before using
- 1 cup pellet ice or crushed ice Pack the glass generously
Garnish
- 1 lime wheel Thin slice from the remaining lime
- 1 maraschino cherry Optional -- classic Swig garnish
Instructions
Chill and Prep
- Place a tall 16 oz glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before building the drink. A frozen glass keeps the carbonation crispy far longer than a room-temperature one.
- Squeeze one tablespoon of fresh lime juice into a small cup. Cut a thin lime wheel from the remaining lime and set it aside for garnish.
Build the Drink
- Remove the glass from the freezer and pack it 3/4 full with pellet ice or crushed ice. The more ice, the longer the drink stays crispy.
- Pour the fresh lime juice over the ice first, then add the coconut simple syrup on top. This order layers the flavors correctly before the soda goes in.
- Slowly pour the chilled Diet Coke down the inside wall of the glass rather than straight in from the top. This preserves carbonation. Pour all 12 oz.
- Hold a spoon bowl-side up just above the surface of the soda. Slowly pour the heavy cream over the back of the spoon so it floats on top rather than sinking. Take your time -- 5 to 10 seconds.
- Rest the lime wheel on the rim and drop the maraschino cherry into the glass. Serve immediately with a straw. Tilt the glass gently once instead of stirring to preserve the carbonation.
Notes
The most common mistake is using coconut cream from the can instead of coconut simple syrup -- cream sinks and separates immediately. Use Torani coconut syrup (found in the coffee aisle) or make your own with equal parts sugar and water plus 1 tsp coconut extract. For the Orange Dream variation, swap Diet Coke for orange soda and coconut syrup for vanilla syrup. For the Texas Tab, use Dr Pepper as the base with vanilla syrup and a small amount of coconut cream added to the heavy cream.
