By Addison Young

The phenomenon of dirty soda has entered Richmond at Sippa, located at 1415 Eastridge Road, near Regency Mall. The drive-thru only spot offers a variety of dirty sodas, as well as a few food items.

Dirty soda is a trend that initially became popular in Utah for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormons, with the chain Swig. The religion has restrictions on certain drinks, so dirty soda became popular for those who adhere to those rules in Mormon communities. Dirty soda is different kinds of soda mixed with cream, syrups, and fruit. 

Sippa’s building. Photo credit: Lauren Causey.

Sippa opened on July 31. A post by TikTok user @lovemycam923  showed the long line that extended onto Parham Road on opening day, since drinks were only $1. 

Sippa offers build-your-own drinks, where you select a base, syrups, creamers, and fruit toppings. They also have a menu of preselected flavor combinations. On September 12, my family and I visited Sippa to sample some of their wares. 

The first drink we tried was the Porch Swing ($3.20+), which is FUZE tea, peach syrup, peach puree, and a lemon garnish. My dad, Rod Young, said it tasted average but had a “weak peach flavor.” He rated it a 5/10 and said he would not order it again.

The second drink we tried was one of the picks of the month, The Southern Sweetheart ($3.20+). The Southern Sweetheart is a lemonade with vanilla, strawberry syrup, peach puree, and a peach ring garnish. This was our favorite item. My mom, Kara Young, said it was “very sweet,” but she would order it again. I tasted a hint of mango, which was not listed as a flavor, and agreed it was worth revisiting. 

From left to right: Porch Swing, Southern Sweetheart, Sweet Sampson, Salted Pretzel Bites. Photo credit: Addison Young.

The third drink we tried was the Sweet Sampson ($2.45+), which is a Sprite with strawberry. I was thoroughly underwhelmed with this drink. Although my mom said she tasted “a little bit of grenadine,” I felt it tasted like a normal Sprite. The image on the website shows more strawberry flavor in a deep red color, but my drink was a light pink. Because of the lack of strawberry flavor, I would not order this again. 

Finally, we got the salted pretzel bites ($4.49) with cheese sauce ($0.75). My dad “lacked faith” in the pretzels when we ordered them, and, unfortunately, he was correct. The pretzel bites were very greasy, and my mom said it looked like they would, “make my stomach hurt.” 

Sippa has received wonderful reviews online and from my friends. Elizabeth Cribbs (’27) said she enjoyed getting “a little sweet snack” with her drink and raved about the Nightingale Brookie Dough ice cream sandwich. Google reviewer Lauren Causey appreciated the “cheerful service” from the staff. With the thousands of flavor combinations that can be created at Sippa, every visit gives the customer a new experience.