A 'no-brainer': How Utah's love of dirty soda became the Salt Lake Bees' alter ego

SOUTH JORDAN — Salt Lake Bees executives had no idea what to expect when they began searching for a fun new alternative identity that celebrated Utah culture two years ago.

However, as they surveyed employees about potential alter egos for the team — a quirky concept that has swept over minor league baseball over the past decade — one name seemed to float to the top.

Dirty Sodas.

Utah is home to the first dirty soda brand, along with many competitors that have spawned over the past several years in the state. It's helped the state become synonymous with the sugary drink. It's also an idea that the team could play around with.

"Naturally, dirty sodas are a cultural thing, but it's popular throughout the country. It just became a natural fit," said Ty Wardle, general manager of the Salt Lake Bees.

Utah's soda obsession has now officially entered the zany world of minor league baseball team names. The Bees unveiled their first-ever locally themed alternate identity on Tuesday, becoming the Utah Dirty Sodas every Wednesday home game this season, beginning on April 1.

Swig will serve as the official sponsor of the secondary moniker, offering $3 drinks on those games, as well as a few other in-game promotions. The company will offer free Swig on Thursdays when the team scores four or more runs during a Dirty Sodas game. A large inflatable swig cup will also be positioned beyond the outfield fence, and any home run hitting it will result in a free drink.

Unique Swig and Utah Dirty Sodas merchandise items will be included in special ticket packages, which also went on sale Tuesday, according to the team, as it dives into its new Wednesday moniker.

Creating a 'no-brainer' ID

While the Bees have played under several historical Utah baseball team names, and as the Abejas for Minor League Baseball's Copa de la Diversión program, they have yet to develop one based on regional significance, as many other teams have in recent years.

Some honor local foods, like the Bees are doing. That started when the Fresno Grizzlies, a former foe in the Pacific Coast League, became the Tacos to celebrate the city's food truck taco legacy in 2015.

Others have paid homage to random pieces of hometown history, local wildlife or natural wonders, such as the Eugene Emeralds playing as the Exploding Whales for an unforgettable incident in Oregon's past or the Hartford Yard Goats playing as the Leaf Peepers to honor New England's fall splendor. Several new names have been unveiled this year, too.

The Bees wanted to jump in on the fun, but the process to come up with an alternate identity is complex. Officials began planning in 2024 so they could meet the MLB uniform and manufacturer deadlines for the 2026 season, which were set in the first few months of 2025. That means the team had to keep a lid on the alternate name for about a year.

Dirty Sodas were an early option, but it wasn't an immediate hit internally. Wardle declined to say what was also considered because those options could be used in future alternate names for the Bees, but they challenged the fizzy beverage in surveys conducted within the Bees organization, its parent owner and others.

What helped is that the Bees are owned by the Larry H. Miller Company, which also acquired a majority stake in Swig in 2022. That provided an easier partner in rolling out the name and other promotional ideas.

The team brought the concept over to Swig officials at some point in the process. They loved it, and the creative nature of alternate identities.

"We just started collaborating on what could be, and that's where the Utah Dirty Sodas came from. It was just really born from, 'How do we create the sandbox of the alternate IDs and just have fun with the community?" said Dylan Roeder, chief marketing officer of Swig.

RARE Design, based in Mississippi, was hired to create the team designs as the idea advanced. They presented a few soda-themed fonts before settling on the uniforms released on Tuesday.

By the time the team reached its manufacturing deadline, there was a clear winner.

"It maybe wasn't the front-runner when we began the process, but — by the end of it, with the pop culture of dirty sodas and what it's become nationwide — it felt like this was the best opportunity," said Ashley Havili, vice president of marketing for Miller Sports + Entertainment. "It was a no-brainer."

How long will the name last?

Once the name was locked in place, the Bees looked for promotional opportunities. Many days of the week are locked in with other sponsored promotional concepts or theme nights, but there was a hole open on Wednesdays that worked perfectly.

Swig added a few promotional ideas for game nights, such as the free drink promotions from in-game action.

"There's a lot of on-field, off-field integration with it," said Todd Smith, president of Swig, adding that the goal is to give prizes away the following day because of home runs and 4-run offensive spurts.

Tuesday's release was a long-time coming for team officials. Havili found herself glued to online comments all day, which ranged from fans calling it a home run to others calling it a swing and a miss.

"Any chatter is good chatter," she said, with a chuckle.

Jerseys and other merchandise are now available in the Bees team store and online, aside from on-field caps that will be available in mid-March to comply with league rules.

The name will likely last over the next two or three seasons, she adds. Other identities could be sprinkled in during that time, or applied afterward if they are used.

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