APPLETON — Rod Richardson, an Idaho native, got the idea to bring Soda Bar to Appleton when he noticed a lack of the novelty drinks in the area.

“This concept of dirty sodas is popular out west and we noticed that the concept hadn’t really taken hold out here,” Richardson said. “We decided that people in Wisconsin needed this treat.”

In July 2023, Richardson opened the doors to Soda Bar, 134 E. Northland Ave., and introduced Appleton to a whole new way to craft your own non-alcoholic cocktails. This month, he’s participating in the first-ever Feast Around the Fox Cities with special menu items and a lot of flavors.

Soda Bar offers a variety of ‘dirty sodas,’ but what, exactly, are they?

Are you tired of the same old Mountain Dew and Pepsi flavors? Do you wish you could spice up your favorite beverage with a unique tasting combination? Soda Bar might be the perfect place for you.

The shop starts with a number of name-brand soft drinks and energy drinks as a base. Customers can come in and choose their desired flavored syrups and other add-ins to create what Richardson refers to as a “dirty soda.”

“Around here, people are familiar with coffees, lattes, mixed drinks and things like that,” Richardson said. “Dirty soda is kind of the alternative to coffee and alcohol. So you still have the opportunity to have a mixed drink, but its soda-based.”

Alongside flavored syrups, the shop offers flavored purees, creams, candies, fruit and sugar-free options for the drink mixtures.

Soda bases include Coke and Pepsi products as well as lemonade, hot chocolate and energy drinks. Those who aren’t interested in sugary carbonated drinks can substitute any drink base with carbonated or plain water.

For those who might not be able to think of any creative combinations, Soda Bar offers a number of its own signature soda cocktails.

Richardson said one of the more popular drinks is the Dr. McDreamy, made with Dr. Pepper, strawberry puree, coconut and vanilla syrup and half and half. Another popular drink is the Big Foot, made with Mug root beer, vanilla and toasted marshmallow syrup.

The shop also sells a few treats and snacks alongside its drinks, like the Soda Bar buttercream cookie, cake pops and the monster sandwich cookie.

“(Soda Bar) is definitely a new concept,” Richardson said. “Lots of people drink soda on a daily basis, so this just takes your soda drinking experience to the next level.”

Feast around the Fox Cities

For the first time, the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau is organizing Feast around the Fox Cities, a monthlong foodie experience for locals, and Soda Bar is one of the participating food establishments.

More: Locally owned Fox Cities restaurants prepare new menu items for month-long foodie experience

The event features 30 locally owned food establishments that have created special dishes and deals specifically for the event.

From now through Jan. 31, Soda Bar is serving a specially crafted caramel apple soda cocktail. The caramel apple soda is made with a Mountain Dew base and caramel and green apple syrup. The Queen Anne, a cherry flavored hot chocolate, was also crafted for the event.

The shop will also offer participating customers a buy-one-get-one-free coupon.

“Feast Around the Fox Cities is such a great thing because there’s a lot of foodie opportunities that probably wouldn’t fit in a normal restaurant box, like us, and it gives people the opportunity to expand their horizons and maybe try something that they hadn’t before,” Richardson said.

Customers are encouraged to download the Feast Around the Fox Cities mobile passport, where they can check in when visiting any of the featured restaurants. Checking in earns customers a chance at winning a prize valued at over $1,000.

For more information on the Feast Around the Fox Cities and to download the passport visit foxcities.org/feast-fox-cities.

Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Soda Bar brings dirty sodas and a create your own drink experience to Appleton