Forgotten Sprite Flavors You Probably Don’t Remember

Like any modern soda, Sprite’s not just limited to one flavor. Oh, no, no, no. This drink’s got range! There’s always some new Sprite variant to sample: At the moment, the brand’s pretty invested in its Sprite + Tea and Sprite Chill lines, but who’s to say that it won’t pull a brand new spin on things out of the bag tomorrow, or the next day? You never know with these people. 

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What we do know, though, is that there have been plenty of Sprite flavors in the good old days of yore that didn’t quite stick the landing enough to become permanent fixtures. And we, in the interests of all things historic, decided to revisit a couple of those old, now-forgotten hits. Shall we?

Sprite Ice

Mint sodas are a tough sell. On the surface of things, they feel like the ultimate in refreshment; in reality, they can taste slightly like mouthwash. That might have been what Sprite eventually tussled with when it came to Sprite Ice, which launched in South Korea in 2002 before going global. Although Sprite Ice was on sale for a couple of years, people never quite took to the mint-flavored vibe the brand was offering – and thus, in 2006, it was discontinued. 

Sprite 3G

What came first: The cellular network technology or the drink? It was the former, in case you were wondering, but Sprite 3G quickly followed suit. Five years after 3G networks dropped in 2001, Sprite released its 3G flavor, in the UK only. It was the drink brand’s attempt to conquer the energy beverage market – but it quickly faltered after Coca-Cola repositioned its Sprite strategy. The caffeine and guarana-powered drink was quickly taken from shelves. 

Sprite Lemon-Lime Herb

Now this one’s a throwback. Sprite Lemon-Lime Herb is a little-known variant of the drink that was released in Germany in the 1970s. As the name suggests, it had a herbaceous note to it, which may well have fitted in with the broader inclination towards herbal drinks in some European markets (although those are typically in the form of herbal liqueurs), but which potentially and understandably didn’t have broad appeal. It was discontinued, never to be seen again. 

Lebron’s Mix

Also known as Sprite 6 Mix, this partnership with LeBron James saw Sprite releasing a cherry and orange-infused flavor, layered on top of its classic lemon-lime. This was definitely a busy drink, but it was a win for Sprite to score an endorsement from the likes of James. Sadly, though, the discontinuation loomed (and not just because sports partnerships with food and drinks brands never really last): PepsiCo ended up winning the NBA contract from Coca-Cola, and the fruity beverage was no more.