Sam James Coffee Bar makes dirty soda now
Because who doesn’t?
Sam James Coffee Bar is hopping on the dirty soda bandwagon as the hipster coffee brand introduces its new Coca-Cold Brew, a carbonated coffee/soda hybrid that combines espresso with Coke and vanilla syrup. According to a recent Instagram post, the new summer drink “tastes like a vanilla affogato float crashed a park hang.”
Related: A “dirty soda” shop just opened at the Dufferin Mall
Do we really need another foray into coffee by way of Willy Wonka? is a question that absolutely nobody seems to be asking (possibly because they’re too busy coasting on a cola-meets-coffee caffeine/sugar rush).
The dirty soda trend kicked off a couple of years ago after mass exposure on the hit series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mormons don’t drink alcohol or coffee, but caffeinated soda is completely on the table, so pop mixed with flavoured syrups and creamer is a popular alternative.
Enter various coffee companies to market a java-infused version to the non-Mormon masses. This month alone, both McDonald’s Canada and Tim Hortons have launched their own dirty soda collections, doing their best to appeal to Gen Z consumers who drink with their eyeballs as much as with their tastebuds. Coffee may be the most popular beverage in Canada, but it doesn’t look great on TikTok, where fizzy concoctions are a subculture unto themselves.
Related: This sort-of-secret spot is serving Diet Coke slushies
So far, Sam James has gotten a lot of positive feedback on the new drink. The Coca-Cold Brew is currently made with regular cola, but that hasn’t stopped members of the always-vocal Diet Coke mafia from demanding their due. Watch this space for updates—or just show up at Sam James with a can of diet pop and see if they’ll make the switch.
Courtney Shea is a freelance journalist in Toronto. She started her career as an intern at Toronto Life and continues to contribute frequently to the publication, including her 2022 National Magazine Award–winning feature, “The Death Cheaters,” her regular Q&As and her recent investigation into whether Taylor Swift hung out at a Toronto dive bar (she did not). Courtney was a producer and writer on the 2022 documentary The Talented Mr. Rosenberg, based on her 2014 Toronto Life magazine feature “The Yorkville Swindler.”
