We Tried Tim Hortons’ New Take On Dirty Sodas
Just in time for summer, Tim Hortons is taking on the dirty soda fad with a lineup of three bubbly new drinks called Soda Swirls.
The lineup arrived with little announcement, appearing on menus across Canada this week. The launch also coincides with the restaurant rolling out foundation drink machines nationwide.
Team Chatelaine got sipping. Here’s what we thought of each flavour.
Vanilla Soda Swirl
This drink features a classic Coca-Cola base mixed with vanilla syrup and cold foam. Unfortunately, this one was not a winner in our books: the vanilla flavour is too intense and overwhelmingly sweet without much else going on in its taste profile.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this option ended up being the least memorable of the bunch.
Light Vanilla Soda Swirl
This ligher version of the Vanilla Swirl features Diet Coke mixed with sugar-free vanilla syrup and, of course, cold foam. Surprisingly, this was the most refreshing option. The Diet Coke flavour stays crisp and fizzy, giving the drink more of that classic-soda float taste.
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There’s still a very noticeable aspartame aftertaste lingering after every sip, but overall this one felt lighter, bubbly and more balanced than the Vanilla Swirl.
Cherry Soda Swirl
Calling all Cherry Coke lovers! The Cherry Soda Swirl features a Coca-Cola base mixed with cherry syrup and topped with cold foam. The flavour is reminiscent of a soda float, with the cold foam mimicking “melted vanilla ice cream” as one editor put it. The cherry syrup sways slightly artificial with a rich-maraschino punch—but not enough to ruin the drink.
The downside? That darn cold foam-to-soda ratio. As we’ve flagged in previous dirty soda taste tests, there’s simply too much of the former, making the drink feel overly dense after only a few sips. Still, this one was the ultimate favourite of the lineup.
Unlike other dirty sodas, Tim Hortons’ Swirls serves up a more “modern fizzy float” flavour than dessert drink—which ultimately works in their favour. McDonald’s, we love you—but this round goes to Tim’s.
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Sarah Bauly is the assistant editor at Chatelaine. Outside of writing, she can often be found getting lost in her favourite ’80s hits, lingering in bookshops or exploring the city in search of her next go-to coffee spot.
