Sprite® is manufactured by Coca-Cola Enterprises, and is one of the top 10 soft drinks in North America. It is a crystal clear carbonated beverage that has a taste somewhere between a lemon and a lime flavor. I like to call it Limon.
What make Sprite so different
There are several simular products on the market with 7-Up® a Pepsi product being the closest competitor, I feel that Sprite contains more of a citrus taste and higher carbonation than the other soft drinks. While the Coca-Cola Company strives to keep it’s key ingredients a secret, the bottle lists ingredients as Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate [as a preservative] and Natural Flavorings. The Diet version will also contain an artificial sweetener such as Aspartane. The one thing I like about Sprite is that it contains no caffeine, so if you like to allow your children to drink a soft drink but are worried about caffeine Sprite is a great choice.
What makes it a medicine?
Actually it is not a medicine, but I always keep an unopened 2 liter bottle of Sprite stored in my pantry for those upset tummy episodes. Because it is a clear liquid, Sprite is easily digested by the body when the tummy may reject the caramel colas, and it will replace fluids lost by vomiting and you know... that other stuff that happens you get the tummy bug... Even pediatricians will advise to give weakened sprite to infants as a fluid replacement. A tip from a Mommy to Moms, mix sprite with equal amounts of water and shake bottle to release the carbonation before giving to baby as the carbonation can sometimes cause the sick tummy to rebel the fluid and send it back.
Other ideas for Sprite
Sprite makes a great mixer for party punch. Most recipes will call for Ginger Ale, however I have found using Sprite instead of Ginger Ale will give the punch an extra lift as the citrus flavor adds a punch to the punch.
For your next non alcoholic party try mixing Sprite with a number of fruit juices. An equal amount of Sprite mixed with Orange Juice will give you a Virgin Screwdriver. Serve in a pretty fluted glass and top with an orange slice. Sprite works best with Citric Juices with the exception of GrapeFruit Juice. Will also make a delicious Apple, Pineapple, or Cranberry spritzer.
For those of you who prefer a more ’’adult’’ drink, Sprite can be used as a mixer for several alcoholic drinks. Being that I don’t know much about this department I can’t give any ideas, but I’m sure you can find many recipes in which Sprite would mix well with your favorite alcoholic beverage.
We have a tendency to enjoy Sprite as our soft drink of choice more in the Summer time. It may be it’s light refreshing taste as well as the crystal clear bubble, but give me a tall glass of ice, filled with sprite garnished with a slice of lemon or lime, on a warm star lit evening and I’m in soda pop heaven!