Hailey Hager and Holly Hildebrand weren’t necessarily setting out to start a dirty soda business. However, once the longtime friends realized that Hildebrand had been perfecting the trendy beverage on her own at home, they knew they had the makings of a great venture. Now, after rigorously testing recipes for both dirty sodas and gourmet popcorn for six months, the friends are readying to hit the road as Dirty Pop, a mobile soda and popcorn brand that will be found around town at markets and food truck-friendly venues, as well as at private events, which they are already booking.
“There is not one kind of event that is not a good fit for this,” says Hager. “Weddings, baby showers, school events, corporate events, showers – we are truly for anybody, any age and any demographic. We feel that we are creating a service where we saw a gap that wasn’t filled, and we can be this fun, safe space that is appropriate for everybody.”
The two of you were friends before you became business partners. How did you meet?
Bailey Hager: We were hair and makeup artists for weddings, and it just felt like the universe kept pushing us together. I had a friend who said we should meet because we’d get along really well, but we just never did. Finally, it happened when we were both booked for the same wedding. It just sprouted from there and we have been friends ever since.
Holly Hildebrand: That wedding was about an hour from my house, and I remember that after we were finished, we just sat there and talked for a long time. We got really close because we both had boys around the same age, so we connected through being moms. We always had this professional connection, but when you layer on parenthood, our lives just became so relatable.
You describe your desire to go into business together, pretty much from the get-go of your friendship, but it wasn’t until almost four years later that you had the idea for a dirty soda brand. How did you decide to take that leap?
BH: We are both big soda people; diet soda really is our treat. As a mom, you are so selfless and give everything of yourself to your kids, so the little things we do for ourselves feel like a treat. For us, there’s no better feeling than when you have all three kids safely buckled into their car seats, and you run out to pick up an order at Target with a podcast on, sipping a diet soda. But the idea really came to us when we started watching the show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu. They drink a lot of soda because they don’t drink alcohol, and there was so much emphasis on these dirty sodas. Because of the show, people started making them at home, and they went viral on TikTok. We figured we should try this because Holly already had a drink station at home.
HH: I was already doing this, even before the show. I had this little drink station at home set up so I could put sugar-free syrup in my soda, but then the show came on and gave us a name for it.
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Popcorn is also an important part of the Dirty Pop brand. How did that come about?
BH: We try to eat healthier, so popcorn is a big part of that. We figured we could combine two things we both love, and it just felt natural because we are both into hosting and cooking. When we launch the trailer, we will be popping it fresh on-site so it’s seriously the best popcorn you will ever have. All of our oils and seasonings are gluten and dairy-free, and we’ve come up with recipes that are really elevated, like parmesan-sea salt-rosemary-black pepper or sweet popcorns like peanut butter lovers and cookies and cream that comes with a milk chocolate drizzle. We have a taste for every flavor profile.
What is your vision for Dirty Pop?
HH: We have a trailer that we are getting up and running, and within the next month, we will be taking it everywhere – pop-ups at different businesses, food truck events, schools.
BH: We really wanted to create something that is family-friendly and compatible with any demographic. Sodas are great because they are non-alcoholic. This means we can do corporate events, teacher appreciation days, birthday parties, graduation parties; there’s such a wide range of events we can do.
Do you see Dirty Pop fitting into the larger non-alcholic movement?
BH: Absolutely. For one, having been pregnant and even being moms, it can be hard to find different fun drinks to get. Sometimes, you want more than just a Diet Coke. Having a drink destination that offers customizable and elevated drinks makes you feel like you are drinking something fun and different, and it takes the place of alcohol. We’ve received a few wedding inquiries from brides that go along with this, too. We have a couple who is getting married and wants a completely dry wedding. They love dirty sodas, and that is what they are doing in lieu of having alcohol, but they were going to do it themselves by just getting some sodas and a bunch of syrups. They didn’t know that an option existed to do something cool and elevated for them. My sister had a dry wedding and says she wishes she would have had something like this hers. We are creating a way for people to have options when they throw parties. We’re excited to do things like that or baby showers, or really anything.
How can people follow Dirty Pop or book an event with you?
BH: We’ve been growing our social media, so people can find us on Instagram (@dirtypopnation). We’re also on Facebook and have started a TikTok. That’s our way of communicating with people that we are coming, but you can also reach us by email or DM us. For private or catering events, just send us an email ([email protected]) telling us what you are looking for and with the details of your event, and we will do a custom estimate. And be on the lookout for us around town; we’ve been doing what we call “dirty drops” once a week at different markets and other places so people can get to know us.
Hear more about dirty soda and other food trends on the Arch Eats podcast.
Recipe: The Dirty Pop
Hager and Hildebrand may sometimes gravitate toward different flavor combinations when making their own dirty sodas, but when asked for their absolute favorite, they are in complete agreement. “The Dirty Pop,” Hildebrand says. “It’s the one we both agree upon as our favorite. There’s just something about the coconut and the lime. We’ve had a ton of people try it, and we will sometimes have them tell us that they woke up the next morning craving one. It’s that good.” Soon, St. Louis dirty soda enthusiasts will see Hager and Hildebrand at venues around town with their forthcoming Dirty Pop truck, where they will be selling their signature beverages and creative popcorn concoctions. Until then, they’ve shared their signature drink recipe for those who want to try their hands at the white-hot beverage trend at home.
Ingredients:
- 1 can Diet Coke or Coke
- 3 pumps of regular or sugar-free coconut syrup
- ½ wedge of fresh lime juice
- 1-2 ounces of coconut cream
- Ice
Directions:
- Add ice to glass.
- Pour coconut syrup over ice.
- Add Diet Coke or Coke.
- Add lime juice.
- Add coconut cream.
- Enjoy!
