As festival season continues and a blazing hot summer approaches, a cool, refreshing drink is always in order. Over the past five years, seltzers and canned beverages have seen a boom in popularity at pool parties, outdoor concerts, and conventions. Ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) and spiked seltzers like White Claw, Truly, and Ranch Water have made for fun beverage options, as they are light, refreshing, and pair nicely with days spent in the sun. One of the newest entries in the RTD space is Sprinter — a canned vodka soda that packs on the fruit flavor without tasting overly synthetic.
Sprinter was founded by Kylie Jenner, who developed the beverage with beverage development expert Chandra Ritcher over the course of the past year. Now, the Kardashians and Jenners may be polarizing figures — but when they have a hit, they have a hit. There’s Kim Kardashian, with her Skims athleisurewear, which has been received well by fitness enthusiasts; Kendall Jenner, whose tequila has surprised every critic (and is championed often by Uproxx); and now Kylie.
But with all of their money and access, the family does seem to have good taste and avoids cutting corners. Which is a wordy way of saying that Sprinter is going to be a hit. Or, to be more precise, it was always going to be a hit — but it’s good enough to have staying power.
Sprinter comes in four different flavors — black cherry, peach, grapefruit, and lime. In all four of those flavors, the fruit flavor and the sweetness are far more noticeable than the vodka flavor. Meaning that if you down a few in a hurry they just might sneak up on you.
Here’s out rundown of all four flavors:
Grapefruit
Our personal favorite was the grapefruit flavor, which boasts a palate reminiscent of Squirt soda. It’s delicious and bright — perfect for poolside.
Black cherry
The booze factor is probably most noticeable in the black cherry flavor, making it the go-to for the RTD cocktail purists. A slight vodka kick with a faint fruity aftertaste, Jenner and Ritcher crafted a flavor that will satisfy even the most particular of consumers.
Peach
Perhaps the most approachable flavor was the peach flavor. This one is the sweetest of the bunch, with a taste comparable to a peach Fanta, diluted with La Croix. The aftertaste is similar to that of Haribo Peach Rings. A little sweet for a vodka aficionado, but an ideal seltzer for people who really aren’t into seltzers.
Lime
Another simple flavor is the lime variant, which tastes a bit like Sprite with an edge. Of the four flavors, the lime is the most balanced between sweetness, fizz, and booziness. With a San Pellegrino-esque aftertaste, the lime is probably the most sophisticated of the bunch. Though, to be fair, it was my least favorite.
It’s not hard to understand why there may be an aversion to Sprinter. After all, the Kardashians and Jenners have a monopoly on nearly every industry — make-up, fashion, television, tequila, and now, canned cocktails. Sure, your first thought may be “What the f*ck does Kylie Jenner know about spirits?” but with backing from Ritcher, whose resume boasts over 20 years of beverage alcohol industry experience, and a PhD in molecular biology, she’s done her homework, and has delivered a promising product.
At 4.5% ABV and 100 calories per can, Sprinter is one of the lighter canned vodka sodas on the market right now. With no added sugars or gluten, Sprinter won’t sit too heavy while you’re swimming or dancing the weekend away at festivals. And — regardless of what you think of the Kardashian-Jenner empire — it’s freaking good. That’s what matters most.