Pilk Isn't Actually A New Concept
Wait, what, Pilk — Pepsi and milk? Yes, it's a thing, and it's been a thing longer than you might think. Nevertheless, many people are just discovering this drink thanks to a holiday advertising campaign featuring Lindsay Lohan prepping for Santa with Pilk and Cookies.
It makes sense to combine Lohan, who's been experiencing her own renaissance of late, with a throwback trend. She's starring in the holiday movie on Netflix "Falling for Christmas," after all. But the fad of drinking soda with dairy, called dirty soda by TikTok fans, has been trending for a while now. Pepsi ad execs took it one step further and broke out the Pilk in early December.
"Combining Pepsi and milk has long been a secret hack among Pepsi fans. Now with the rise of the 'dirty soda' trend on TikTok and throughout the country, we thought Pilk and Cookies would be a great way to unapologetically celebrate the holidays with a new and delicious way to enjoy Pepsi this season," said Todd Kaplan, Chief Marketing Officer of Pepsi, via a PRNewswire statement.
Of course, what's old is new again with Pilk because it first came to light decades ago. Whether you call it Pilk, dirty soda, or Pepsi milk, believe it or not, a popular sitcom is credited for its introduction in the 1970s.
Laverne's Milk and Pepsi
"Laverne & Shirley," a sitcom about an odd couple pair of friends and roommates, first aired in 1976. If you haven't seen the show in reruns by now, the main characters are Laverne DeFazio played by the late Penny Marshall, who died in 2018, and Shirley Feeney portrayed by Cindy Williams. The pals both worked at a brewery in Milwaukee in the show, and their escapades at home and on the job were hilarious.
During one episode of the show, Laverne famously mixed up a batch of her go-to drink, milk and Pepsi, in a big bucket. After taking a guzzle, she proclaimed that the attention-grabbing mixture needed more Pepsi in her signature deadpan style.
Marshall's childhood drinking customs were the origin of drink used as a comedic attention grabber in that particular airing. Her mother would make her drink her milk before having Pepsi, and eventually it became half milk and half Pepsi, as noted as one of the fun facts on Definition.org.
So, there you have it. This may very well be the real origin of Pilk. Will you be leaving a glass out for Santa this holiday season?