One thing about me? I'm a Sprite girlie through and through. I love pretty much all soda (much to my dentist's dismay), but there's something about a crispy Sprite straight outta the fountain that just gets me going in the best possible way. I mean, let's be honest: it's one of the most versatile drink options out there. It's not too sweet, it's citrusy without making your mouth pucker, and it brings me right back to my childhood somehow. I'm obsessed.
Another great thing about Sprite (or, you know, any other lemon-lime soda)? It's a wonderful mixer if you're whipping up a boozy beverage—and not just because you can find it pretty much anywhere. (The grocery store! The hot dog cart outside your office! Your parents' fridge!) The fruity flavor and fizzy feel complement pretty much every other liquid, so you can pair it with damn near anything without having to worry about overpowering the other flavors in your concoction.
All that to say...long live the Sprite cocktail! To get you started on your lemon-limey journey, I compiled some of the best, most creative cocktails (and mocktails!) that utilize the zesty beverage, and popped 'em right here believe. Scroll down to find one that tickles your fancy (I'm partial to the Virgin Strawberry Lime Mojito, if you even care), and dig that cocktail-making kit out from the back of your bar cart. It's time to get bubbly.
Dirty Shirley
Grab your favorite highball glass (a skinny tall glass works well, too) and fill it with ice cubes. Next, pour in a splash of grenadine, add a shot of vodka, then top with lemon-lime soda. Garnish with cherries, lime wedges, or your favorite fruit.
Recipe from Savory Experiments
Tom Collins
Add 2 oz. gin, 1 oz. fresh lemon juice, and 1 oz. simple syrup to a Collins glass. Add ice, then top it off with 6-7 oz. Sprite (or club soda, if you don't want it as sweet) and stir until well mixed. Garnish with slices of lemon and a maraschino cherry.
Recipe from A Beautiful Mess
Rosé Raspberry Cocktail
Put the juice from 1 lemon in a small bowl. On a shallow plate, combine equal parts sugar and sprinkles. Dip the rim of your glass in the lemon juice and then in the sugar mixture. Repeat for each glass. Place a couple of raspberries in the bottom of each glass. Fill the glass one-quarter to one-third full with lemon-lime soda. Top with rosé wine.
Recipe from Luci's Morsels
Red Sangria
Add 1 orange (cut into chunks), 1 green apple (cut into chunks), and ½ cup raspberries to a large pitcher. Pour in ½ cup orange juice, ½ cup brandy, and ¼ cup triple sec. Top with 750 mL Cabernet Sauvignon and stir to combine. Let the sangria sit for a few hours or overnight, then top with lemon-lime soda and serve.
Recipe from Simple Joy
Vodka Cranberry Cocktail
Add ice to a cocktail glass. In that glass, pour in equal parts Sprite, cranberry juice, orange juice, and vodka. Mix well to combine, add a slice of orange for garnish, and serve.
Recipe from Kim's Cravings
Mint Julep (A Mocktail!)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the juice of 3 lemons and 2 limes with 1 tsp. of freshly grated ginger, 1 tbsp. of chopped mint leaves, 2 cups of water, and 1½ cups of sugar. Mix together and cover. Let it sit out for 45 minutes, then strain. When ready to make the drinks, fill glasses with ice. Pour equal amounts of Mint Julep mix and Sprite into a glass. Top with fresh mint leaves and lime wedges.
Recipe from Jen Around the World
Bourbon Cherry Limeade
Add 5 pitted cherries to a highball glass and use a muddler to carefully crush and release their juices. Cut a lime into 4 wedges. Add 1 wedge and muddle to release lime juice. Repeat with remaining wedges. Add ice to a glass, followed by 2 oz. bourbon and ¾ oz. maraschino cherry syrup, then top with lemon-lime soda. Gently stir to combine.
Recipe from Dash of Jazz
Red Wine Spritzer
Fill individual glasses with ice. Fill the glasses halfway with red wine, then top each glass with Sprite. Stir to combine and serve. Easy peasy!
Recipe from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
Brandy Old Fashioned
Add 3 dashes Angostura bitters, 2 orange slices, 2 brandied or maraschino cherries, and 1 sugar cube to an Old Fashioned glass and muddle to combine. Add ice to fill the glass, then add 2 oz. brandy. Top with Sprite or club soda, and stir to chill. Garnish with a skewered cherry and an orange slice.
Recipe from Liquor.com
Margaritas
In a pitcher, mix a bottle of light beer (like Corona Light) with ice. Add 1 cup of tequila, 1½ cups of Sprite, 1 can of frozen limeade concentrate, and the juice of a lime or two. Stir gently and pour into margarita glasses. Garnish with lime wedge if desired.
Recipe from My Family Thyme
Sex in the Driveway
Fill a highball glass with crushed ice and pour in the ingredients as follows: 1 oz. peach schnapps, 1 oz. blue curaçao, and 2 oz. vodka or white rum. Top with Sprite. Stir well and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Recipe from Mix That Drink
Cucumber Vodka Cocktail
Fill a glass with lots of ice (you want this very cold!) and add 1½ oz. cucumber vodka to the glass. Add ¼ cup lemonade and ⅓ cup Sprite to the mixture. Stir until well combined and garnish with a cucumber slice.
Recipe from Fresh Simple Home
GinInnJuice
Combine 2 oz. Inniskillin Vidal, 1 oz. gin, and 1½ oz. peach nectar in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake vigorously, and strain over ice into a glass. Top with Sprite and garnish with a peach wedge.
Recipe from Inniskillin Wine
Virgin Strawberry Lime Mojito (A Mocktail!)
Add 12-14 strawberries (stems removed) and 8 large mint leaves to a pitcher. Using a muddler (or a wooden spoon), muddle the strawberries and mint leaves to extract the juices. (Be careful, you don’t want to tear the mint leaves to pieces!) Add ⅛ cup fresh lime juice and 2½ cups Sprite to the pitcher. Stir. Fill glasses with crushed ice, and pour the virgin mojito mixture over the ice. Garnish with extra mint and lime slices and serve immediately.
Recipe from Salt and Baker
The Twist
Pour 1½ oz. SVEDKA Vanilla Vodka in a glass, add 1 oz. ginger ale, and top with 1 oz. Sprite. Stir and garnish with a vanilla bean.
Recipe from SVEDKA
