If nothing else, Gin and tonic should be accessible to everyone, which means there needs to be good substitutes. Sprite is a viable substitute for tonic, especially for those who cannot tolerate quinine.
That said, using Sprite alone, with just any old gin, will leave most Gin and Tonic lovers very, very, sad and disappointed. That’s why I spent an entire evening testing and exploring Sprite and gin until it tasted more like a gin and tonic.
I got close…really close.
Coming up, I’ll share the gin that worked best, the complete ingredient list, and the ratios that made gin and Sprite taste like a gin and tonic.
Gin + Sprite + Club Soda Taste vs. Gin & Tonic
When you combine gin with Sprite and club soda, the 3 go together and taste like Gin and Tonic that’s been sitting around awhile, after the ice has melted.
So I started my testing by removing the club soda, and spent some time identifying just how Sprite tastes with gin vs. how tonic tastes with gin.
I began the tasting with warm gin, warm Sprite and warm tonic like this:
Then I added ice to see if I could pick up on different flavors.
Tasting it warm and cold was key to identifying not only the taste difference, but the mouth feel and lingering effects.
For testing, I didn’t use a fancy tonic. I used Polar, regular, which you can find just about anywhere.
Here is how the two tasted in comparison to each other…
Sprite & Gin
Unlike other gin & soda combos (such as Gin Buck, or Gin Dew), Gin with just Sprite lacks character. It’s too sweet and too shallow.
In the mouth, the bubbles fall flat of a real gin and tonic, and there is no absolutely no body, or bitter finish. The gin and sprite also feels slippery in the mouth.
Tonic & Gin
With a gin and tonic, you’re immediately hit with a “limey” sweet, front note, followed by a bitter finish that lasts at least 10 seconds.
It’s not at all slippery, instead, it’s rather crisp.
So, in order to make gin and Sprite really taste like (and feel like) a gin and tonic, we need to make Sprite taste more like a tonic.
And to do that, I had to figure out how to give the gin and Sprite:
- more bubbles
- more lime
- bitter finish
Next, I had to figure out the gin…
Which Type of Gin Mixes Best with Sprite?
A London Dry Type of Gin with strong juniper, strong bitter notes and hot finish, mixes best with Sprite if you’re trying to mimic a Gin and Tonic.
The ever-reliable Beefeater gave us the best results throughout this testing. The piney notes of Beefeater, along with it’s hot and heavy finish, helped give Sprite the body that it was lacking.
Now that we know the best gin is Beefeater and we know we need more lime, more carbonation and some bitters, here is how I would make a gin and tonic that substitutes Sprite and club soda for the tonic.
No Tonic Gin & Tonic: Using Sprite Recipe
Here is my quinine-free gin and tonic that uses Sprite, but tastes really close to a gin and tonic.
- 2 oz. Beefeater Gin
- 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
- 4 oz. Sprite
- 1 oz. Club Soda
- 3 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters
Adding Grapefruit Bitters
Can you skip the grapefruit bitters? Yes, but the grapefruit bitters provide a lengthy bitter note (10 seconds) through your exhale. Without them, the bitterness was mild and quick to evaporate.
Using a Less Juniper Gin
If you don’t have Beefeater, use the gin you have that has the most Juniper and heat. I tried this with citrus forward gins (Seagram’s and Hendrick’s) and they couldn’t provide the body I was after.
I also tried an Old Tom, which is one of the top 5 gins with ginger ale but it wasn’t quite right. Not only did it change the color, but the malty finish was difficult to subdue.
What Glass to Use?
I used the low bubble glass because it helped trap the bitters and the heat. A slim highball glass allowed too much aroma escape.
I also used a good amount of ice and found that the colder it got, the more it tasted like a real gin and tonic.
Gin and Sprite Ratio
The best ratio for gin and Sprite is 1:2 or 1 part gin to two parts Sprite. In the recipe above, you’ll see I used 2oz. of Beefeater Gin and 4oz. of Sprite.
Don’t include the ounce of club soda when figuring gin to Sprite ratio. The club soda is critical though, for providing the bubbles and cutting the slipperiness of the Sprite.
How Many Calories in Gin and Sprite?
A Gin and Sprite should have Under 200 Calories as follows: apx. 148 calories from 2 oz. of gin, 48 calories from 4oz. of Sprite and 0 if you top with calorie free club soda. That totals 196 calories for a gin and sprite.
Many people just use 1.5 ounces of gin so making drinks less strong will certainly save calories.
If you add lime juice to try to make it taste like a gin and tonic, add another 5 calories.
What about Gin & Sprite Zero?
If you make your, quinine-free, gin and tonic with Sprite zero, then your only calories would come from the gin.
So that would be more calorie friendly at 110 calories for the gin and Sprite Zero.
What Else Can You Add to Gin and Sprite?
Your gin and Sprite endeavors to not have to stop at trying to make a substitute gin and tonic. In fact, many people love to mix it up with other ingredients listed below.
Start with Gin, Sprite and then…
| Add This… | Tastes Like… |
|---|---|
| Grapefruit Juice | Sweet Salty Dog |
| Orange Juice | Orange Blossom |
| Black Cherry | Black Cherry Rickey |
| Lemonade | Tom Collins |
| Cranberry | Memories of a Cosmo |
Whenever you find the Sprite cocktail is not fizzy enough, top with a good quality club soda. I use the ISI soda maker (link to product) and these cartridges (link to product) as pictured here:
I love this soda siphon. I’ve had it for years and the inside is just as nice as the very first day. It’s ISI brand, made in Austria, and the components are high quality.
Final Thoughts
Gin and tonic is one of GinBoss’s favorite drink on the planet. I love mixing and blending and frankly, I like my gin and tonic to provide complexity. But, an affinity for gin doesn’t happen over night.
When I think back to my early 20’s I was perfectly happy ordering rail gin and tonic.
Today, many people cannot tolerate quinine and are looking for a good substitute for tonic.
Sprite works, but needs a little doctoring. Remember to use a pine forward, gin that finishes hot. Beefeater was a solid choice.
If you don’t use a bitter, piney gin, your Sprite and gin will probably taste more like a gin and sweet soda.
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