The Vegetable-Flavored Sprite We Totally Forgot About

Whether it's the Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola or the Kraft candy-flavored pink mac and cheese, special variations on classic drinks and snacks tend to bring about passionate and mixed reviews — often landing on the side of encouraging fans to stick with the original. But Cucumber Sprite, popular in the Russian market, might be an exception. It was made to be a modification of the popular fountain drink that adds to the original citrusy flavor rather than replacing it, and although hard to find, fans say it's worth the hunt. 

Sprite has been around in the United States since 1961, but Cucumber Sprite is only a few years old, launching in Russia in 2017. The drink was popular there, but Coca-Cola announced a halt to production of Coca-Cola, Fanta, and Sprite in Russia in mid-2022 amid conflict with Ukraine. There hasn't been news since then about whether any of these popular soft drinks are available in the country, but it seems likely that stock has more or less run out by now. There was also a Sprite Zero Cucumber flavor introduced to the UK in 2019, but it has since been discontinued.

Unfortunately for those of us in North America, this lemon-lime-cucumber mash-up is not produced in the United States. But there are some specialty soda shops where you can still taste it.

For those in the U.S., getting this extra-refreshing beverage into our hands is a little difficult. However, fans of the drink on Reddit have searched high and low and found a couple of places to get a sip of the elusive Cucumber Sprite. 

Next time you're at Walt Disney World in Florida, check out Club Cool at Epcot, which features free samples of soft drinks from around the world — including Russia's Cucumber Sprite. A similar experience is also available at the World of Coca-Cola stores in Las Vegas and Atlanta. One Reddit commenter who tried a variety of rare drinks at the Las Vegas Coca-Cola store said Sprite Cucumber was by far their favorite, and another said they just wished they could buy enough to take home.

Packages of Cucumber Sprite might be out of reach, but while you're craving the lemon-lime drink, try using regular Sprite in one of many great soda-alcohol combinations, including mixed with tequila or gin for a refreshing cocktail. Or add Sprite to your boxed cake mix as a fun replacement for the water amount listed.