What’s poppin’? Fizz N Sip ‘dirty soda’ shop opening in Overlook neighborhood

Published 9:00 am Friday, January 24, 2025

“Dirty soda” — drinks decked out with flavored syrups and creams — is one of the latest drink crazes.

These non-alcoholic concoctions are a sweet treat to sip on. Big name chains like Sonic and Taco Bell have hopped on board recently, selling variations of their well-know slushes and freezes, donning them with the “dirty” title.

It’s trendiness ramped up over the past year, and the drinks were featured heavily in the popular Hulu show, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” publicizing Utah’s iconic dirty soda shop called Swig, which copyrighted the term.

Veronika Sakhashchik, 25, took inspiration from the show while in pursuit of deciding what kind of business she wanted to open. Despite loving being a mom to her 4-year-old daughter, Amelia, opening a kids clothing store — her other idea — just wouldn’t cut it.

A stay-at-home mom, Sakhashchik decided to bring North Portland its first soda shop, Fizz N Sip, and offer an exploration of all the ways to make drinks “dirty.”

“There’s no way I’m driving all the way to Utah for a drink,” Sakhashchik said.

It has been just more than a month since she secured the lease at 2726 N.W. Killingsworth St., Portland, and it’s almost time to open the doors. Sakhashchik aims to soft launch the shop on Saturday, Feb. 8, but it will likely still be a work in progress.

“I thought we were going slow, so I’ve been on my husband’s butt,” she said laughing.

Sakhashchik and her family have lived in Portland since 2017. Originally, she hails from Ukraine, where he parents own a coffee shop.

“At one point I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I don’t know why I did this,’” Sakhashchik said she told her dad. “He said, ‘You know what, let it go. We already did this. You just gotta go for it. It wasn’t easy for us. You got this.’”

So, go for it she did.

The menu includes Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Mountain Dew and vanilla and agave flavored Stubborn Soda, and folks can choose to add things like marshmallow fluff, fruit purees, syrups and creams.

Or for people who need a little guidance, Sakhashchik has curated a menu of premade drinks such as the “1851,” an homage to when Portland was started, or the “Highway 101,” which has Sprite, lime and pineapple puree. Other possible drink names include the “Oregon Trail” and “Rainy Dew,” a blend of Mountain Dew and green apple flavoring.

“We’re trying to make it more of a local thing,” she said of the name choices.

And she of course still had to find a way to honor Amelia, so she created a special drink called the “Mika,” based on her nickname, which features Sprite, blue raspberry flavoring and a gummy shark candy.

“She loves her gummies,” Sakhashchik said.

Her and her family took a beach trip together and spent day after day creating bubbly concoction, which helped them finish the majority of their menu in under a week. The mascot, a cup with arms, legs and a jolly smile, was something Sakhashchik drew for the brand.

The décor is themed with pastel pinks and blues, gold accents and some natural textures like rattan backing on the chairs. Pink lockers will be installed for both aesthetics and additional storage space.

Sakhashchik said without the help of her handyman father-in-law, supportive husband, and all of her siblings who have contributed to the project, she couldn’t have done it. Outside of her family’s support, she said the local community has welcomed her with open arms.

“This community, especially this neighborhood, is just so welcoming,” Sakhashchik said. “I’m honestly very humbled and honored to be in this community because it’s just overwhelming how loving and accepting they are.”

Sakhashchik said, as a first time business owner, one of her missions in opening the shop is to help support younger people looking for jobs. Since starting her Instagram account for the store, she’s received an outpouring of interest not only from prospective customers, but prospective employees, too.

Ahead of opening she said she feels both excited and stressed, with a heavy emphasis on feeling stressed.

“I’m hoping to not disappoint the community,” Sakhashchik said. “I really hope we’re able to meet the mark that they’ve set for us.”

Sakhashchik said she hopes to give her customers a taste of the flavor profiles they’ve been longing for.

“Either Portland’s gonna love it or hate it,” she said, hoping for the better outcome of the two.

And for those with their heads in the gutter, Sakhashchik assures that everyone will indeed be fully clothed because it’s not that kind of “dirty.”

And for those who want to make their drinks extra “dirty,” Sakhashchik joked, there’s a bar down the street.

“We’re trying to make it more of a local thing”

Veronika Sakhashchik, owner