Guide
Best dirty soda syrups (and what to pair them with)
The syrups that unlock the most dirty soda recipes, which sodas they pair with, how much to use, and sugar-free options.
Buy these first
Coconut and vanilla are the backbone of dirty soda. Coconut goes with almost every dark soda and with lemon-lime; vanilla turns any soda into a cream-soda float. In our 100-recipe pack, vanilla appears in 18 recipes and coconut in 16, more than any other syrup.
Then add fruit
Raspberry and strawberry pair with cola, spiced cherry cola and lemon-lime. Peach is the classic with citrus soda. Mango works with orange and citrus sodas. Blue raspberry is for color and fun.
| Syrup | Best sodas | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Coconut | Spiced cherry cola, cola, lemon-lime | Dirty Dr Pepper |
| Vanilla | Root beer, orange, cola | Orange Dream |
| Salted caramel | Cola, root beer, cream soda | Salted Caramel Cola Fizz |
| Raspberry | Cola, ginger ale, spiced cherry cola | Raspberry Cola |
| Strawberry | Lemon-lime, cream soda | Strawberries & Cream Soda |
| Peach | Citrus soda, ginger ale | Peach Citrus Soda |
| Mango | Citrus, orange, lemon-lime | Mango Lime Refresher |
| Blue raspberry | Lemon-lime, energy | Blue Raspberry Lemon-Lime |
How much to use
1 oz per 16 oz cup is the sweet spot. Citrus and orange sodas are already sweet, so stay at 1 oz or below. With two syrups, use ½ oz of each.
Sugar-free
Pair sugar-free syrup with zero-sugar soda and coconut cream for a creamy drink with very little sugar. Sugar-free syrups can taste slightly thinner; add an extra ¼ oz if needed.
Recipes to try
FAQ
How many pumps of syrup in a dirty soda?
Two pumps, which is about 1 oz, for a 16 oz drink.
Can I use coffee syrups?
Yes. Coffee-shop syrups (vanilla, caramel, coconut) are the same syrups soda shops use.
More guides
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