Sprite announced the return of Sprite + Tea as an annual summer limited-time offering, establishing a new seasonal ritual for the brand. 

The category-crossing offering blends the crisp, lemon-lime refreshment of Sprite with the classically refreshing flavor of tea, it says. 

“We’re always listening to our consumers, but this particular phenomenon motivated us to explore how we could offer our own refreshing take on tea,” said Kate Schaufelberger, brand director for Sprite North America, in a statement. “Sprite fans love variety, not just in flavor but in the ways we bring refreshment to life through unique multisensorial experiences that stay true to the essence of the brand.”

Coca Cola North America’s R&D team completed several rounds of consumer testing to fine-tune the formula for the amber-colored sparkling beverage, the company says, striking a smooth and refreshing balance of the complementary flavors.

A.P. Chaney, senior creative director of sparkling flavors North America, added: “The Sprite + Tea concept started out as an intern research project, which is really fun and interesting. When it blew up on TikTok with millions of views, it was a gut check that we were on the right track. Because you never go wrong when you listen to consumers and tap into what they’re doing by becoming part of their everyday.”

Regular and zero-sugar varieties of Sprite + Tea are now available to purchase nationwide and will remain in the market through October, the company notes.

www.coca-cola.com