Torani Study Finds Dirty Soda Driving America’s New Build-Your-Own Beverage Movement
For more than a century, Torani has played a significant role in shaping beverage culture and consumer flavor preferences. From helping introduce Italian sodas to American consumers in the 1920s to pioneering the flavored latte movement in the 1980s, the company has consistently been at the forefront of beverage innovation. Today, Torani is identifying another major shift in consumer behavior: the rapid rise of dirty soda and the growing demand for personalized drink experiences.
According to new consumer research conducted by Torani, dirty soda has evolved from a niche beverage trend into a mainstream cultural phenomenon. The category, which combines traditional soft drinks with flavored syrups, creamers, sauces, and other customized ingredients, is transforming how consumers interact with beverages. Rather than simply purchasing a ready-made drink, consumers are increasingly creating beverages tailored to their own tastes, preferences, and lifestyles.
As one of the leading flavor companies in the United States, Torani has a unique perspective on changing beverage trends. The company’s products are used in more than one billion beverages annually across cafés, restaurants, beverage chains, and specialty drink shops. In addition, Torani products can be found in more than nine million households nationwide, providing valuable insight into both commercial and at-home beverage consumption patterns.
Andrea Ramirez, Senior Consumer and Customer Market Insight Manager at Torani, believes the popularity of dirty soda reflects a much broader shift in consumer expectations.
“For many consumers, the beverage experience has shifted from simply ordering drinks to building their own,” Ramirez said. “Dirty soda reflects a broader cultural move toward drinks that feel personal, creative, and made for the moment.”
From Regional Curiosity to National Beverage Trend
What began as a regional specialty has now become one of the fastest-growing trends in the beverage industry. Social media platforms have played a significant role in accelerating awareness, with consumers sharing customized recipes, flavor combinations, and drink creations online. Increased visibility through major restaurant chains and popular entertainment content has further propelled the category into the mainstream.
The trend has gained additional momentum through cultural exposure, including mentions in television programming and widespread media coverage. As consumers seek new ways to personalize their everyday routines, dirty soda has emerged as a fun, accessible, and highly customizable beverage option.
Torani has witnessed this enthusiasm firsthand through its nationwide “Treat Truck” activation program. The company’s traveling pop-up experience allows consumers to create their own customized beverages using a variety of syrups, creamers, and flavor enhancers. Since launching last year, the tour has visited multiple cities across the United States, including Salt Lake City—often considered the heart of dirty soda culture—and Torani’s hometown of San Francisco.
Across seven stops, nearly 14,000 attendees participated in the experience, experimenting with flavor combinations and building drinks that reflected their individual tastes.
According to Ramirez, the popularity of these events demonstrates that consumers are looking for more than just refreshment.
“Consumers increasingly want drinks that reflect their routines, preferences, and personalities,” she explained. “When fans tell us they have dozens of Torani flavors at home, it highlights how much people enjoy experimenting and creating beverages that feel uniquely their own.”
Consumer Awareness and Adoption Continue to Surge
Torani’s latest research suggests that dirty soda is no longer an emerging trend—it is becoming a firmly established beverage category.
Between 2025 and 2026, consumer awareness of dirty soda increased dramatically from 56% to 75%. During the same period, the percentage of consumers who had tried dirty soda doubled from 21% to 42%.
Consumer enthusiasm appears to be growing as well. The number of Americans who identified dirty soda as their favorite beverage more than doubled year over year, rising from 4% to 9%. Meanwhile, nearly 28% of consumers reported purchasing dirty sodas from restaurants multiple times per week.
These figures indicate that dirty soda is moving beyond curiosity and becoming a regular part of beverage routines for a growing segment of consumers.
Flavor Innovation Fuels Consumer Interest
A key driver behind the category’s success is its virtually unlimited customization potential. Consumers can mix and match flavors, sweetness levels, cream additions, and soda bases to create unique beverages tailored to their preferences.
Traditional favorites continue to dominate many dirty soda creations. Coconut, cherry, peach, and vanilla remain among the most popular flavor choices. However, Torani has also observed increasing demand for tropical and exotic flavor profiles such as guava and passion fruit.
Dessert-inspired flavors are also gaining traction. Consumers are showing interest in indulgent options such as caramel, cupcake, and Torani’s newest offering, Cookie Butter Syrup. These flavors allow consumers to transform everyday soft drinks into dessert-like beverage experiences.
While Dr Pepper remains the most commonly used base for dirty soda creations, consumers are increasingly experimenting with other carbonated beverages, including cola, lemon-lime soda, cream soda, root beer, and zero-sugar alternatives.
Recognizing these evolving preferences, Torani continues to expand its innovation pipeline with products designed to support customization. New offerings include curated dirty soda flavor kits, portable liquid drink enhancers, and expanded sugar-free options that make it easier for consumers to personalize beverages at home or on the go.
At-Home Mixology Becomes Mainstream
One of the most notable findings from Torani’s research is the growing popularity of at-home beverage customization.
Consumers are increasingly stocking their kitchens with multiple syrups and flavoring products to recreate café-style drinks and dirty sodas whenever they choose. According to the company’s findings, 64% of dirty soda enthusiasts keep between two and three syrups or sauces at home, while 34% maintain four or more flavoring options.
Additionally, 62% of dirty soda consumers report regularly creating their own customized beverages at home. This trend highlights a broader movement toward accessible mixology, where consumers enjoy crafting personalized drinks without needing specialized equipment or professional expertise.
Consumer satisfaction with the category remains remarkably high. Among dirty soda drinkers surveyed, 89% reported that they either “like” or “love” the beverages, suggesting strong long-term potential for continued growth.
Looking Beyond Soda: The Future of Personalized Beverages
While dirty soda currently represents one of the most visible expressions of beverage customization, Torani believes the trend will continue to evolve beyond traditional soft drinks.
The company expects future innovation to focus on beverages that combine flavor, wellness, convenience, and experience. Emerging opportunities may include functional ingredients such as prebiotics, fiber-enhanced sodas, hydration-focused formulations, and beverages designed to support specific lifestyle goals.
Torani also anticipates greater crossover between beverage categories. Future drink concepts may blur the lines between coffee, soda, energy drinks, hydration beverages, and desserts, creating entirely new formats centered on personalization.
As consumers increasingly seek products that reflect their identity, mood, and daily routines, flavor is expected to play an even larger role in purchasing decisions.
For Torani, the rise of dirty soda represents more than a temporary trend. Instead, it reflects a continuation of a decades-long movement toward beverage customization, one that empowers consumers to create drinks that are uniquely their own. As personalized beverages continue gaining popularity, dirty soda may prove to be just the beginning of a much larger transformation within the beverage industry.
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