A gin and tonic can be bitter, while a gin and soda will allow the gin to take center stage. Gin and Sprite does something completely different.

The sweetness and lemon-lime flavor of Sprite soften gin’s botanicals, making you a drink that’s more approachable for people who aren’t sure they actually like gin (obviously they have not hung out with me enough).

It’s also refreshing in a way that a gin and tonic, with its quinine bitterness, isn’t always. It’s cold, sweet, fizzy, with just enough gin character underneath to make it interesting, but the gin isn’t super noticeable.

If you’re trying to introduce someone to gin, this is a pretty good starting point.

Which gin

A lighter, more floral gin, like Hendrick’s, is an easy-to-find pick. The cucumber and rose notes play well with Sprite’s lemon-lime sweetness without the juniper overpowering everything.

Empress 1908 turns soft lavender in the glass against the pale yellow of Sprite, due to the citrus’s acidity. The floral botanicals pair well with the soda’s sweetness too.

Sprite vs. alternatives

Sprite is the standard here in the USA. A lemon-lime sparkling water like Spindrift Lemon will create a drink with less sweetness and more actual citrus flavor if you want a drier version. That version is closer to a gin and soda with lemon notes and is worth trying once you’ve made the standard version.

Ratio

Start out with a ratio of 2 oz of gin to 4 oz of Sprite. Sprite is sweet enough that the gin can go slightly higher, up to 2.5 oz, without going into the unbalanced drink danger zone.

Garnish

Fresh mint is always good, especially if you grow it at home like me. Lightly clap two or three leaves between your palms before dropping them in with the ice. The mint adds coolness and an herbal note that ties back to the botanicals in the gin, making the whole drink smell (and taste) better.

A lemon wheel on the rim works too and reinforces the citrus in the Sprite.

More ideas in my cocktail garnishes guide.

3-Ingredient Upgrade: Mint

Lightly clap 4 to 5 fresh mint leaves and add them to the glass before building the drink. The mint integrates into the Sprite and gin as you sip and makes the drink taste more complex than two ingredients would suggest.

A squeeze of fresh lemon over the top before serving adds acidity that balances the sweetness.

Mocktail Version

Sprite with fresh mint and a squeeze of lemon. Press the mint first to release the oils. It’s a good non-alcoholic drink if you want a fancy soda.

Non-alcoholic gin makes it significantly more interesting because the botanicals are what make gin and Sprite worth drinking in the first place.

Glassware

A tall highball glass keeps carbonation alive longer and gives the mint and ice room. I use these highball glasses at home. A long cocktail stirrer mixes gently without bruising the mint or killing the bubbles.

Gin cocktails to try next:

• Hot Honey Bee’s Knees
• Peach Mint Spritz
• Cucumber Gimlet

More 2-Ingredient Gin Cocktails:

• Gin Apple Juice Highball
• Gin & Grapefruit
• Gin Guava
• Gin and Juice
• Gin & Lemonade
• Gin Pineapple
• Gin & Soda
• Gin Sprite
• Gin & Tonic
• Gin Tonic (Flavored)
• Gin Watermelon

Gin and Sprite

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 oz gin
• 4 oz Sprite or lemon-lime soda
• Fresh mint and lemon wheel, for garnish

Instructions

1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
2. Add gin.
3. Top with Sprite and stir gently.
4. Garnish with a lemon wheel and fresh mint.

Mint Glow-Up (3-Ingredient Version)

Ingredients

• 2 oz gin
• 4 oz Sprite
• 4 to 5 fresh mint leaves
• Lemon wheel and mint sprig, for garnish

Instructions

1. Lightly clap mint leaves between your palms and add to a highball glass.
2. Fill with ice.
3. Add gin.
4. Top with Sprite and stir gently.
5. Garnish with a lemon wheel and mint sprig.