I Tried Dua Lipa's Jalapeño Pickle Diet Coke. Would You?

While Britney Spears's favorite kind of Pepsi is just the regular kind and Addison Rae rallies for Diet Pepsi in her chart-climbing single, there might be some competition for the best kind of Diet Coke. Plenty of pop culture icons might agree that there's nothing quite as refreshing as the standard version of the beverage. Kate Moss championed the drink as Creative Director for the brand when she paid homage to the classic Diet Coke Break ads in 2023.

Nothing could top a freshly cracked can of the carbonated beverage .... unless you add pickles and jalapeño to the mix?! In a new TikTok video, pop star Dua Lipa appears to advocate for a briny, spicy twist on the classic soda. As soon as I saw the video, I knew I had to taste the concoction for myself.

Fans Were Confounded By Dua Lipa's Invention

In the video, Dua Lipa breaks down her recipe for the unique beverage. While you probably know New Rule #1 (don't pick up the phone), her step 1 of pouring Diet Coke into a plastic cup might not be what you expected from the TikTok. She goes on to add a bit of pickle juice, a couple pickle chips, and what she calls "jalapeño sauce" along with a few slices of the pepper. After gently swirling the mixture, she takes a sip with glee. Her companions all try it, reacting vibrantly to different levels of pickle-ness and spice. While the singer's shoulders rose as she ingested the liquid, her sister grimaced at the flavor. She used the caption to ask her followers to name the drink.

One fan commented that the beverage reminded them of a "diet rush" from Hawaii, which they claimed was similar but made with pickled mango. Another dubbed it "THE CURE OF ALL HANGOVER CURES". In my favorite comment, a Spanish-speaking fan simply wrote, "las aguas locas de dua". Lots of people seemed to knock the drink without even trying it, expressing everything from exasperation to straight up confusion.

Pop Base shared the clip on X to much fanfare. "My taste buds would sue me if I tried this 😩," one person wrote while another exclaimed, "This is the most evil thing I’ve ever watched." I'm going to be honest with you all, though -- I'm on the side of the user who admitted, "She can make me a poison and i would still drink it." I guess I trust the Future Nostalgia singer with my life, because I ran right to the store for the ingredients to try it out!

I loved Dua Lipa's Jalapeño Pickle Diet Coke

When I say I ran, I'm not kidding. The bodegas in my neighborhood weren't open at 7 AM when I got off work, so I hoofed it to the grocery store about 10 blocks away to get a bottle of Diet Coke and a can of pickled jalapeño peppers. My dog Al was excited for the early morning jog and to be honest he loves visiting the grocery store almost as much as I do. When we got back, I fed Al his breakfast and got to work mixing the drink. I used a Red Chile Spicy Dill Snack Pack from SuckerPunch for an extra kick of spice in my version.

When I took my first few sips, the drink just tasted a little zesty. The sweetness of the soda shined through as I continued to drink from the glass. However, the aftertaste of jalapeño warmed my mouth, throat and stomach in an exciting way. The herby dill flavor from the pickle juice also got stronger as I got deeper and deeper in the drink. It's almost as if the special ingredients sunk below the ice to create a stronger experience later on. The extra flavors that accumulated also reminded me of the extra layers of flavor that build up when eating some spicy foods.

Overall, it was really delicious. I liked the way the flavors interacted and added new profiles. I think any one who likes pickle juice, spicy peppers, and soda would enjoy the drink. Although some of Dua Lipa's fans expected the mixture to be a bit gross, it was not only drinkable but also a bit addicting! I'm excited to fix myself another one. Would you try it? Let me know in the comments below.

And as for what I'd call the beverage? After Dua's carefree attitude, willingness to experiment, and my favorite song off her debut album: I dub her Jalapeño Pickle Diet Coke the IDGAF.

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