"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."
"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."
Sprite + Tea began as a fan-made trend of steeping tea in Sprite, producing a crisp, bubbly, tea-tinged drink. The Coca-Cola Company released an amber-colored sparkling beverage meant to balance complementary flavors and launched it in May 2025 as a limited-time summertime product through October. The product received a pre-release Fabi Award but generated negative reactions once tasted. Taste testing found the black tea and lime flavors conflicted, with the black tea overpowering the lime and creating an unbalanced, unpleasant beverage. Early online responses also criticized the nutrition label and expressed consumer backlash.
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