The Worst Sprite Flavor Of All Is Limited Edition (And Should Stay That Way)

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When two worlds collide, the result isn't always "the best of both worlds." Sometimes, mashups miss the mark, which is ruefully the case when it comes to Sprite + Tea. In Tasting Table's definitive ranking of six Sprite flavors, Sprite + Tea came in last place.

Initially, the flavor was inspired by a fan creation that gained traction on social media in the summer of 2023. Foodies were steeping tea bags in their Sprite for a few minutes before drinking it, yielding a crisp, bubbly, slightly tea-tinged sipper. In response, The Coca-Cola Company released an official product following the viral trend — and, at least in the pre-release stages, Sprite + Tea won a Fabi Award at the National Restaurant Association Show. In May of 2025, the company launched Sprite + Tea as a limited-time-only summertime product, slated to last through October. In an official press release, The Coca-Cola Company called Sprite + Tea an "amber-colored sparkling beverage" that "strik[es] a smooth and refreshing balance of the complementary flavors." In execution, however, this wannabe Arnold Palmer misses the mark.

Our taste tester, self-proclaimed as "a general fan of Arnold Palmers and similar lemonade-tea mixes" notes, "[W]hat seemed a promising concept didn't deliver, partially because of the Sprite's signature lime flavor ... The black tea and lime flavors fought for attention and the black tea was entirely too strong." Overall, the result was a wholly "unbalanced" product that proved unpleasant going down.

Before even trying it, fans balked at the soda's nutrition label. A Reddit thread from the time of the product's initial release is filled with comments like, "It is both a miracle of science and an affront to human decency that the bottle contains 61 grams of sugar." Another chimed in, "There's no way there was brewed tea anywhere near the manufacturing process," while one Redditor wondered, "How is it that a soda that claims to be 'Sprite + Tea' has absolutely no black tea in the ingredients list?" Notably, the word "tea" appears nowhere in the label lineup. This inattention to any actual "tea" flavor is likely where Sprite's product went wrong. 

Once foodies actually took a sip, their feedback didn't become any more positive, either. Bleak Target customer reviews of Sprite + Tea read: "Eww. Just don't like the taste," "Bad taste. Yuck! Yucky! Icky! Gross!" and "Bad combination." Elsewhere online, others agreed. One Amazon reviewer stated, "I love tea and I like Sprite, but [I] do not recommend." 

At Target, a 12-pack of Sprite + Tea 12-ounce cans cost about $8.39, when available — the same price as a 12-pack of Diet Coke, citrusy Fanta Orange, or regular lemon-lime Sprite. Soda fans, we implore you to pick one of these instead (or, really, any other better-tasting pop). At least Sprite + Tea is limited-edition; we're thankful that the shelf space has been cleared up again.