A dirty soda and float shop is staking its claim in Downtown Upland, with Screamers Soda confirming plans to open its first Southern California location there. The shop will serve made-to-order dirty sodas, ice cream floats, layered iced matcha drinks and kids' milks, alongside a sizing lineup that tops out at a 54-ounce drink called the Mega Scream. Opening details are expected to be shared later.
Screamers Soda describes itself as a flagship dirty soda and float shop offering customizable drinks, colorful creations and Tennessee-inspired flavors, according to WhatNow. The brand's name nods to the old “I scream, you scream” ice cream tradition. Guests will be able to order a signature recipe or build their own combination from soda bases, flavored syrups, creams, fruit and toppings.
What's on the Menu
Soda sizes will run 10, 16 and 24 ounces, with the Mega Scream topping out the list at 54 ounces, per the same report. There's also a sampler flight for the indecisive, though the exact pour size is murky: WhatNow describes the Scream Sampler as four 8-ounce drinks, while a Screamers Soda press release carried by einpresswire.com describes it as four 10-ounce drinks.
Signature creations include the Classic Scream, made with root beer, vanilla bean ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry, and the Big Scream, which pairs Dr Pepper with toasted marshmallow, vanilla and a sweet cloud top. The Tennessee Twist blends cola with peach and vanilla under that same cloud-top finish, a nod the shop ties to its founder's Tennessee roots, while the Strawberry Social mixes lemon-lime soda with strawberry and coconut. Diet soda bases, sugar-free syrups and dairy-free alternatives will also be on offer, the report notes, rounding out the menu for different dietary needs.
A Local Pitch With a Cause Attached
Linda Trawnik, president emeritus of Historic Downtown Upland, Inc., framed the arrival as a win for the district. “Downtown Upland thrives when businesses give people new reasons to visit, connect and spend time here,” she said in a statement carried by the outlet. Screamers Soda also plans to dedicate a portion of its proceeds to local youth centers that support young people in recovery from drug and alcohol use, though the amount or percentage has not been detailed.
Beyond the storefront, the company says it will offer catering for corporate events, weddings, birthdays and community gatherings across San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange counties. Menu updates and opening details are expected to be posted at screamerssoda.com and on Instagram at @screamerssoda as the launch date approaches.
Part of a Bigger Dirty Soda Wave
Upland's new addition lands amid a broader dirty-soda boom spreading well beyond Utah, where the format got its start. Cleveland's cleveland.com traces the trend's national surge to the 2024 premiere of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu, which the outlet says turned the drink style into a nationwide fad. That city got its own movie-themed version, Reel Sips, which opened September 3 downtown with customizable dirty sodas and specialty pours like a Jaws-inspired Sprite.
California has seen its own wave of openings this year. Fiiz Drinks opened its first California store in El Dorado Hills on October 3, offering drinks from 16 to 32 ounces built from more than 10,000 combinations, according to the Sacramento Bee. The chain started in Utah in 2014 and has since grown to 70 locations nationwide. Farther south, San Luis Obispo County has watched dirty sodas spread from McDonald's to dedicated shops like Cowgirl Soda Co. in Paso Robles, which opened in June offering over 50 signature drinks, as detailed by the San Luis Obispo Tribune. Businesses in that market credit social media with much of the drink's popularity boom.
