Whiskey and Sprite: What It's Called, the Ratio, and Which Whiskey
It’s a highball. That’s the name. Whiskey, a carbonated mixer, ice, tall glass.
People want a cooler name than that. There is one, sort of. Use Seagram’s 7 Crown and 7Up and you’ve made a 7 and 7, an old bar-rail standby. Use anything else and it’s a whiskey and Sprite. Say that at a bar and nobody blinks.
I poured thousands of these. Weddings, mostly, where the open bar had three whiskeys and a soda gun. The guests who ordered them weren’t whiskey people. They wanted something brown that didn’t taste like a dare. That’s the job this drink does.
The ratio
One part whiskey to three parts Sprite. Two ounces of whiskey, six of soda.
That lands near 10% alcohol before the ice melts. A strong glass of wine. Fine for sipping through a long night.
Like whiskey? Go 1:2. The lemon-lime gets out of the way and you taste the barrel. Go 1:4 if you’re pacing yourself or the whiskey is rough. Past that it’s just Sprite with a rumor.
| Ratio | Whiskey | Sprite | Tastes like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:2 | 2 oz | 4 oz | Whiskey first, soda as backup |
| 1:3 | 2 oz | 6 oz | The standard. Balanced. |
| 1:4 | 1½ oz | 6 oz | Soda first. Easy daytime drink. |
How to build it
Fill a highball glass with ice. All the way. Pour the whiskey. Top with cold Sprite, slowly, down the side. One gentle lift with a spoon. Done.
Squeeze a lemon wedge in if you have one. It cuts the sugar and makes the drink taste like a bartender made it. The Jack Sprite does exactly that: Jack Daniel’s, Sprite and lemon.
Warm Sprite is the number one way people ruin this. It goes flat on the ice and melts everything. Keep the cans in the fridge.
Glass matters less than people think. A tall, narrow one keeps the bubbles longer than a wide rocks glass, that’s all. Plastic cup at a barbecue? Fine. Just pack it with ice. A half-full cup of ice melts fast and you end up with sweet whiskey water by the second sip.
The 7 and 7
Seagram’s 7 is a blended American whiskey. Light, a bit sweet, not much oak. That’s why it disappears into 7Up so well.
The database has it three times: Seven and Seven, 7 on 7, and a flaming version I won’t recommend. Same two ingredients. Same 1:3 pour.
Which whiskeys work
Canadian. My favorite for this drink. Smooth, light rye spice, no fight with the soda. The A Royal Sprite is Crown Royal and Sprite, and it’s the call I heard most behind the bar after the 7 and 7. The Spritsor is the same build with any Canadian whisky. Our page on what to mix with Crown Royal covers the rest of that bottle.
Tennessee. Jack and Sprite is a classic dive-bar order. The Nikki Sixx is just that. Jack’s banana-and-caramel thing plays nicely with lemon-lime.
Bourbon. More vanilla, more oak, sweeter. The Bourbon and Sprite uses Henry McKenna. The Beam and 7 uses Jim Beam and 7Up. Use a 1:2 here so the bourbon shows up.
Maker’s Mark. Wheated, soft, no rye bite. Works well. The Cassidy Mist adds triple sec and Sierra Mist, which pushes it toward a sweet orange highball. If you’re pouring Maker’s a lot, our Maker’s Mark mixer guide goes further.
Irish. Jameson and Sprite is fine. Light, grassy, a bit thin against all that sugar. Use 1:2 and a lemon.
Scotch. Skip the smoky ones. Peat and lemon-lime taste like a campfire somebody put out with soda. A light blended scotch is OK.
Sprite, 7Up or Sprite Zero
Sprite and 7Up are both lemon-lime sodas. In a highball I can’t reliably tell them apart. Neither can most people. Use what’s cold.
Sierra Mist and Squirt show up in old recipes too. Squirt is grapefruit, so it’s a different drink. Drier and more bitter. The Beam ’n Squirt is worth a try if you find the regular version too sweet.
Sprite Zero has no sugar. The drink gets thinner and you’ll notice the sweetener aftertaste more at a 1:2 than a 1:3. A squeeze of lime helps. It’s a fair swap if sugar is the issue. Same alcohol either way, so it doesn’t make the drink lighter where it counts.
A few with more going on
Same base, one more ingredient.
The Wyooter Hooter is Tennessee whiskey, Sprite and grenadine. Pink, sweet, a crowd drink. The Ruby Slipper is the 7Up version.
The Nay-Nay Strohmeyer adds cranberry juice to Jack and Sprite. Tart. Good in fall.
The Southern Sour is Jack, Southern Comfort and 7Up. Peachy. Two liquors, so it’s stronger than it tastes.
More lemon-lime ideas in our drinks with Sprite roundup, or search your own bottles on CocktailBuilder.
Quick answers
What is whiskey and Sprite called? A whiskey highball. Seagram’s 7 with 7Up is a 7 and 7. Crown Royal with Sprite sometimes gets called a Crown and Sprite. That’s about it.
Is it a good mix? Yes, if the whiskey is light. Heavy, smoky or very old whiskey gets buried or clashes.
Can I use Sprite Zero? Yes. Go a bit heavier on the soda and add citrus.
What’s the best whiskey for it? Canadian. Crown Royal if you’re buying, Seagram’s 7 if you want the original.
Last modified on October 25, 2026
