Feelin’ Festive (and Thirsty)? Winter Spiced Cranberry Sprite Is Back

I don’t know if it’s because I don’t drink a whole lot of soda or if I’ve just been living under a rock, but I just found out that not only does Sprite have other flavors (they have Cherry, Lymonade, and Tropical, you guys, WHAT?!), they also apparently have a limited-time winter flavor that is back for the 2022 holiday season and its name is Winter Spiced Cranberry Sprite (and Winter Spiced Cranberry Sprite Zero Sugar). Again, WHAT?!? How have I not heard about this? And how long has this been a thing?

What is Winter Spiced Cranberry Sprite and where has it been all my life?

Turns out it’s been right there on store shelves since the 2019 holiday season, when it was first introduced. And that introduction back in the beforetimes wasn’t without controversy—people were angry because they were missing the Sprite Cranberry flavor that was the company’s holiday staple from 2013 to 2018 (worth noting I also missed that one; guess I have been living under a rock). But alas, starting in fall of 2019, Winter Spiced Cranberry Sprite was here to stay for the holidays and, honestly, I’m so intrigued by the idea of this flavor. It supposedly tastes like “the signature lemon-lime flavor of Sprite paired with a warm spice blend and tart cranberry notes,” and I can honestly say I have a hard time imagining what that could possibly taste like. One commenter on a site called the Soda Wiki tasted it and tried to place the spice flavor asking, “What is the spice? Ginger? Cinnamon? I really can’t guess,” to which another commenter (presumably a fan of the previous “non-spiced” version) responded, “I believe the ‘spice’ is just the taste of hatred.” So as you can see, this is a highly contentious issue among Sprite’s fandom (which is apparently a real thing). 

I want to try this so badly. It seems like what would happen if Sprite, Ocean Spray, chaos incarnate, and cinnamon had a baby together and I have a morbid curiosity to see what that tastes…like…? Ew, no that’s creepy. I just want to try the Sprite, okay? And this year, I’m gonna do it. Let me know what you think of Winter Spiced Cranberry Sprite if you’ve had it! I’m curious what people who don’t have strong Sprite loyalties think.