By Stacie Boyls | Arts & Life Writer
This May, caffeine addiction and pop culture join forces with Swig, officially setting roots in Waco.
Swig, a Utah-based soda chain known for its customizable “dirty sodas,” is set to open its first Waco location near Baylor University. The drive-thru shop is expected to open May 15 at 1011 S. 10th St., Suite 170, according to a reel posted on the official KCEN News Instagram page.
While some Texans have never heard of the chain, students like Heber, Utah, senior Malachi Ure grew up on the chain and its unique soda creations.
“Dirty sodas are just great, and they’re kind of a novelty,” Ure said. “It’s more casual than going out and getting drinks with someone. It’s a little nicer than going to Sonic.”
Dirty sodas typically start with a base like Diet Coke or Dr Pepper and are mixed with flavored syrups, fruit purees, creams or citrus. Swig uses name-brand sodas, which Ure said is a big part of its appeal and guarantees a consistently quality experience.
“People go there specifically to get their Diet Coke fix,” he said. “Their strength is in how well they can mix that name brand with flavors and creams and other stuff that makes it good or makes it new.”
While Swig may feel like a sudden “little treat” fad in Texas, soda shops have deep cultural roots in Utah, particularly within Mormon communities where coffee and tea are traditionally discouraged due to their caffeine content. Up until recently, soda faced the same criticism.
“Soda was kind of looked down upon in Utah culture, in Mormon culture,” Ure said.
That perception began to shift in the mid-2010s, Ure said, when Brigham Young University began serving Coca-Cola on campus.
“When BYU started serving Coca-Cola, that was a huge step because people — it was more normal to drink soda,” he said. “It was kind of a wink, wink, nudge, nudge — like you can have as much caffeine as you want if it’s in soda form.”
As soda became more socially accepted, shops like Swig began filling a role beyond just drinks.
“There’s no third space option like a bar or a coffee shop, so soda became that,” Ure said.
Swig’s rapid growth, Ure said, is also tied to its strategic locations and expansive menu.
“I think Swig is the first, which is probably why they spread so fast,” he said. “They do a great job because every Swig I’ve ever been to has been right on my way to something. Every other soda shop other than Swig is always at a weird location.”
Now, Swig is bringing that model to Waco, a city with its own soda legacy.
“This is the home of Dr Pepper,” Ure said. “Half the menu is Dr Pepper.”
Ure believes the chain will resonate with Baylor students and Waco residents alike.
“There’s a lot more overlap than people think between Utah Mormon moms and Texas Baptist moms,” he said. “People here love their sodas.”
Swig’s menu includes crowd favorites like what Ure calls “the classic Utah dirty soda,” made with “Diet Coke, coconut cream and lime,” as well as Dr Pepper-based drinks like his personal favorite.
“My favorite is the Raspberry Dream — it has raspberry puree with Dr Pepper,” he said. “I get the 44 ounces, which are ginormous.”
Other Baylor students are already looking forward to the opening.
“I’m excited,” Conroe senior Nalani Defensor said. “They have one in Houston, but it’s kind of far from my house.”
Defensor said she was introduced to dirty sodas through Sip City, a similar chain.
“I found out about Sip City fall semester of my junior year by my friend Mackenzie Block,” she said. “I liked it so much I took each of my friends to Sip City within that week.”
With Swig opening just minutes from campus, Defensor said the convenience is part of the appeal.
“I’m looking forward to having a dirty soda shop super close to my apartment,” she said. “I will absolutely be going to Swig.”
As construction continues on South 10th St., Ure expects the shop to quickly become part of the Baylor routine.
“I would be absolutely shocked if it doesn’t absolutely kill up here,” he said.
