Protein Diet Coke: The Utah Drink Combo We Aren't So Sure About
Diet Coke fanatics don't mess around when it comes to a cold, crisp glass of their favorite soda. To many admiring fans, it's not just a soda – it's a lifestyle, and they'll die on the hill that Diet Coke is better than regular Coke. They'll wear merchandise, leave a restaurant if it only serves Pepsi products, and keep a cup of Diet Coke beside the bed to prove their devotion. It's a little frightening how intense people can get, but TikTokers in Utah have taken the addiction to Diet Coke to an entirely new level by mixing it with milky protein shakes – though the internet is unsure if they agree with this bizarre new concoction.
@beccers_gordonn Protein diet coke gets a 10/10 for me. Gotta love utah gas stations #utah #gasstation #soda #proteindietcoke #dietcoke #utahcheck #swig
The trend began on TikTok in late September when user @beccers_gordonn's mixing video soared to 2.7 million views. She captioned the video, "Welcome to Utah where protein Diet Coke is currently trending," and then deemed the recipe a "10/10." Since her initial video, the "proteindietcoke" hashtag has been tacked onto hundreds of TikTok videos, with many users finding the drink surprisingly tasty. The recipe varies slightly per video, but the basics are the same: Fill a cup three quarters of the way with Diet Coke (either from a fountain or poured from a can) and top off the rest with a liquid protein shake. The internet's reaction, however, is far from unanimous, with some TikTok users raving about the drink, and others giving it a hard pass.
The internet can't decide if protein Diet Cokes are a hit or a miss
Adding any kind of milky substance to a soda may sound unusual to you, but to many Utah residents, it's a part of their daily routine. Utah is well-known for its soda culture, with soda shops amassing as many customers as popular coffee chains. Members of the Mormon church are advised not to drink coffee in accordance with their religion, so soda shops have risen to popularity as the go-to spots for a quick fix of caffeine. It's not uncommon to find "dirty sodas" on these soda shop menus, which involve adding syrups, milk, and creamers to a cup of soda. "Dirty Diet Coke" is among the most popular, which is perhaps where this idea of pouring protein shakes into Diet Coke began.
Though there are plenty of TikTok videos highlighting people's positive reactions to trying the protein Diet Coke, the comments tell another story. "My digestive system would never recover," said one user, while another commented, "I am a ride or die Utah soda girlie, but this is too much." Many comments echo the same hesitations and varying levels of disgust at the protein Diet Coke combination, with one user even exclaiming, "This can't be real what!!" TikTok's viral fluffy coke trend was a messy miss and even Dua Lipa's viral Diet Coke and pickle concoction fell flat — so, can we really trust the internet to recommend any more Diet Coke mixtures?