Hungry Jack's Dirty Cola

Dirty Cola is $7.25 and 910 kJ, from the Jack'd Up Sodas range. It is cola built up with syrup and cream rather than served straight, and the name comes from the bar term for a drink with something added to it.

Jack'd Up Sodas are Hungry Jack's answer to the dirty soda trend that came out of Utah and spread through social media. The formula is a soft drink base with flavoured syrup and cream or creamer stirred through, served over ice. It is a considerably bigger drink than a standard soft drink and it is priced accordingly.

Cream in cola does something specific. The dairy fat rounds off the phosphoric acid that gives cola its sharpness, so a dirty cola tastes softer and rounder, closer to a cola float without the ice cream. The syrup adds body that stops it tasting thin.

At 910 kJ it carries about 10% of an adult daily intake, with 43.1g of carbs and 43.2g of sugar. That is more than a regular Coke at 612 kJ but less than most of the shakes.

The price is the consideration: $7.25 against $4.80 for a plain Coke. This is a specialty drink rather than a thirst quencher.

Who it suits: anyone curious about the dirty soda trend, and anyone who finds plain cola too sharp. It works as a dessert drink more than as something to have with a burger.

Compare against the Blue Lagoon at $6.40 for the fruit version of the same idea.