CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It’s four minutes past opening time Thursday, and I’m in line for Indian Land, South Carolina’s latest sensation. Swig soda shop is still more than a quarter-mile away.

It’s been a week since the new drive-thru drink spot opened off Worldreach Drive, initially backing up traffic clear onto Charlotte Highway.

Swig sells “dirty sodas” — well-known soft drinks mixed with extras like fruit or cream. They also have refreshers, Reviver energy drinks, seasonal items and a few baked goods. Evidently, Swig is huge with the TikTok crowd, like this one with over 1 million views.

I’m driving a minivan older than TikTok — and many of the drivers waiting in line with me.

Workers have rerouted the line now. I’m nearly parked at the Indian Land YMCA. And, yes, I’m wondering what I’m doing here. I haven’t had a soda since ‘97, and I’m not what you’d call the target audience.

Ella Eisenhauer and Chelsey Daigle are, though. The Gen Z friends drove 45 minutes from Charlotte to wait at least that long in line. They are right behind me. Cars only creep forward at first, mainly as others pull out of the long line.

“We’re staying,” Eisenhauer said. “I was here yesterday, and it was farther back there.”

She wants the Shark Attack, a mix of Sprite, lemonade and blue raspberry topped with a gummy shark. Daigle settles on the Texas Tab, a blend of Dr. Pepper, vanilla and coconut cream.

Both heard about Swig on TikTok. But, being a man of science, I know there has to be more. So I ask Google. Why the heck is this place so popular?

Turns out the Utah-based company with 100 locations is popular among Mormons as a non-alcoholic drink option. Swig has been prominent in the reality show, ”The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” whose second season recently came out on Hulu.

It probably doesn’t hurt the Indian Land spot’s popularity that it’s the first Swig in the Carolinas either. The next closest are in Knoxville, Tennessee, Chattanooga, Tennessee, or Orlando.

Before I left the house I’d even seen a giant Swig cup in my refrigerator. I’d have asked my teen about it, but it was nearly lunchtime so I didn’t want to wake him.

Instead, I took my up-for-anything youngest son with me. I sent him out to count license plates. Of the 13 vehicles in front of us, eight were from South Carolina. The rest were from North Carolina. Look at us, beverages without borders.

Sweet on Swigs

Half an hour in, we near Midarch Trail, the turnoff leading to Swig.

We are close to an hour’s wait when we pull into the drive-thru. Two workers are alternating cars with order-screen card readers. A worker greets me with a smile, and I ask what she’s sold the most of this week. It’s the Texas Tab or Just Peachy, a Coke Zero Sugar option with pineapple, peach puree, lime and coconut cream. So I order one of each.

My son goes with the Shark Attack and a Bloody Wild, a Mountain Dew with mango and strawberry puree. We get an Unlucky Ducky (Sprite, lemonade, strawberry, gummy shark) for the middle brother, who had the good sense to opt for delivery.

A mere one hour and four minutes after we got in line, we are out with our drinks.

My kid starts taste testing. He says they’re sweet, like slushies in drink form. I can only hope he’ll be sweet once the sugar hits, or that his mother will when she finds out what I let him have. But hey, you only live through so many viral sensations.

It occurs to me I still don’t drink sodas, so we share with anyone back home who wants some. We fridge the rest. All the flavors are different from what any of us have had before. They seem to be the biggest hit among the youngest taste buds.

I’m still not entirely sure why I spent an hour in line for a drink. I still can’t name a single Mormon wife. But at least I know what all the fuss is about. I look over at my son, still pecking at straws to rank his favorites.

That’s plenty sweet enough for me.

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