Children of the ’90s will remember filling your cup with every flavor from the soda fountain, creating new (and sometimes terrible) sodas for you and your friends to try. Sonic took the whole concept to the next level with its endless list of flavor mix-ins for soda, and the trend has just continued. You can get a unique mix of flavors in sodas pretty much everywhere now. But there’s something nostalgic about mixing your own DIY drink at a fast-food soda fountain — where you can get as crazy as you want with the portions and flavor combinations. And next time you get the urge to dive into some pseudo mixology, run over to McDonald’s and mix yourself up an orange cream dirty soda at the fountain drink station.
Dirty sodas are any kind of soda that has a little something extra like flavorings, cream, fruit, and other mix-ins. They’re what you reach for when you want a little treat on top of your usual soda, something that looks pretty or tastes a little more special. And creating that bougie-feeling, creamy treat at McDonald’s is as easy as adding coffee creamer to orange Hi-C from the fountain machine.
How to make your own orange cream soda at McDonald’s
Whether you’re stopping by McDonald’s for a classic Big Mac or to try the new Big Arch sauce, skip the drive-thru and go inside for a little side quest. You’ll order your food and a fountain drink from the menu, and then walk yourself over to that fountain drink machine to make some magic. Fill your cup with ice and Hi-C orange drink from the fountain. Then, add two creamers (adjust to fit your taste). Stir, and enjoy a premium-tasting creamsicle-style beverage that tastes like it was way more complicated to make.
A DIY creamsicle drink is just the beginning of the drink hacks at McDonald’s, too. Once you’ve gotten your fill of Hi-C and cream, you can make yourself a whole list of other delicious and low-effort concoctions. You can mix and match different flavors from the soda machine for a throwback to those ’90s fountain soda experiments. Or, combine Sprite with vanilla syrup for a cotton candy-tasting drink or combine McDonald’s ice cream with hot coffee for a totally different, Italian-inspired affogato.
