Who is each format for?

For a Bonfire Night gathering, the useful distinction is whether guests want a fizzy drink in its own container or still juice served in cartons or poured from a bottle.

Hosts handing out individual alcohol-free drinks

Six separate Appletiser cans avoid pouring at the point of service. ASDA lists the pack as 6 x 250ml of sparkling apple juice; allow for chilling if you want to serve it cold.

Families comparing fixed juice portions

A 150ml carton makes it easier to see the amount being served than a 250ml can. ASDA lists Tropicana Kids Apple in four 150ml cartons. The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day.

Hosts whose guests prefer still apple juice

Sainsbury's lists still apple juice in six 200ml cartons, while Copella is supplied in a chilled 900ml bottle. Those formats offer alternatives when fizz is unwanted, but bottles need cups and pouring.

What should you check before choosing?

Choose the serving format for the gathering, then compare the amount in each container, its ingredients and its sugars per serving.

Sparkling cans

Choose when: Guests want separate fizzy drinks without a bottle-and-cups setup.

Bear in mind: The Appletiser can holds 250ml, above the NHS combined daily 150ml fruit-juice and smoothie guidance.

Still cartons

Choose when: Guests prefer still juice and you want individual containers; listed options include 150ml and 200ml cartons.

Bear in mind: A 200ml carton also exceeds the NHS 150ml daily guidance, and cartons do not meet a requirement for cans.

Larger bottles

Choose when: You would rather pour still juice and decide how much to serve each guest.

Bear in mind: You will need cups, and storage instructions matter once a bottle is opened.

Priority What to check Your needs
Serving size Read the volume per can or carton, not just the pack total. The NHS advises no more than a combined 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies a day; ASDA lists the Appletiser can at 250ml. I want guests to take their own drink, but I also need to know how much juice each container holds.
Ingredients and sugars Check whether the drink is juice, juice from concentrate or a juice drink, then compare sugars per actual serving. ASDA lists Appletiser as 100% carbonated apple juice from concentrate with 26g sugars per 250ml can. The NHS says sugars in unsweetened fruit juice still count as free sugars. If I am choosing between packs, the front-of-pack wording alone will not tell me their serving sizes or sugar amounts.
Pack quantity Compare containers and total volume: six 250ml Appletiser cans provide 1.5 litres, while Sainsbury's six 200ml cartons provide 1.2 litres. A bottle requires pouring rather than one container per guest. Will there be one drink for each guest, or am I serving juice from a larger pack alongside other drinks?
Storage and serving Follow the pack's storage instructions and check its best-before date. Joybuy's Appletiser product information says to store the cans in a cool, dry place and serve chilled; Sainsbury's says its Copella bottle must be refrigerated. I need a place to keep drinks before the gathering and enough room to chill those I plan to serve cold.

What is easy to overlook?

  • Assuming one can equals a daily juice portion

    ASDA lists 250ml in each Appletiser can. That exceeds the NHS guidance to limit fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day.

    Check the container size before serving. If a smaller fixed serving matters, compare 150ml cartons and offer water as another drink option.

  • Treating every apple-flavoured can as apple juice

    The drink name alone may not tell you its juice content or whether it is carbonated. ASDA lists the Appletiser can's ingredient as carbonated apple juice from concentrate (100%); that description applies to this product, not every apple-flavoured drink.

    Read the product name and ingredients on the can when choosing a different pack.

  • Counting containers without checking their size

    Six 250ml cans and six 200ml cartons serve the same number of people if each gets one container, but provide different amounts of juice. Larger bottles change the serving setup again.

    Work out whether you need one sealed drink per guest or juice to pour, then compare container volume and pack total.

  • Planning serving and storage from the pack format alone

    Cans, cartons and bottles have different storage instructions. A chilled bottled option also needs space in the fridge, while drinks served cold need chilling time.

    Check the physical pack for its ingredients, best-before date and storage instructions before the gathering.

Brand and retailer references

These examples show how the available can, carton and bottle formats differ; a brand's inclusion here does not mean every product it makes comes in that format.

Appletiser

A sparkling apple-juice option in six individual cans.

  • ASDA lists six 250ml cans made with 100% carbonated apple juice from concentrate.
  • ASDA lists 26g sugars per can; its 250ml size exceeds the NHS combined daily 150ml fruit-juice and smoothie guidance.

Tropicana

Still apple juice in formats suited to pouring or individual cartons.

  • Tropicana describes its Orchard Apple Value Pack as pressed juice, not from concentrate, with ten 150ml servings. ASDA lists Tropicana Kids Apple as four 150ml cartons.
  • The cited products are a larger pack and cartons, respectively, rather than multipack cans.

Copella

A still, cloudy apple juice for serving from a bottle.

  • Sainsbury's lists the 900ml Copella product as not from concentrate, with 15g sugars per 150ml serving.
  • It comes in a plastic bottle rather than individual cans and must be refrigerated.

Sainsbury's

An own-brand still apple-juice option in individual cartons.

  • Sainsbury's lists six 200ml cartons of 100% apple juice from concentrate, with 18.4g sugars per carton.
  • The cartons are not cans, and each holds more than the NHS combined daily 150ml fruit-juice and smoothie guidance.

M&S

An individual still apple-juice carton to consider if cans are not required.

  • M&S lists a 200ml Apple Juice carton and gives sugars as 10.3g per 100g.
  • The cited product is a carton, not a multipack of cans. Compare nutrition on the same stated basis before drawing conclusions about servings.

Joybuy can option

This sparkling six-can pack is an option for handing out individual apple drinks at a Bonfire Night gathering. Its 250ml cans are worth considering alongside the smaller still-carton and pourable-bottle formats discussed above.

Appletiser Lightly Sparkling Apple Juice 6 x 250ml cans

Appletiser Lightly Sparkling Apple Juice 6 x 250ml Cans

Six separate cans suit a gathering where guests want sparkling apple juice without pouring from a bottle. Joybuy describes the drink as 100% carbonated apple juice from concentrate and lists 26g sugars per 250ml can. Each can exceeds the NHS guidance to limit fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day; Joybuy says to store the pack in a cool, dry place and serve chilled.

View on Joybuy

Questions about serving apple juice

Is a 250ml apple-juice can the NHS daily reference amount?

No. The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined total of 150ml a day. The Appletiser can listed by ASDA contains 250ml, so check the serving size rather than assuming one can matches that guidance.

Does 100% juice or no added sugar mean there are no free sugars?

No. The NHS says sugars naturally present in unsweetened fruit juice still count as free sugars. ASDA lists 26g sugars in a 250ml Appletiser can and 15g in a 150ml Tropicana Kids Apple carton; compare both the sugar amount and the serving size.

Can Appletiser cans be kept before the gathering without refrigeration?

Joybuy's product information says to store this Appletiser pack in a cool, dry place and serve it chilled. Check the can's best-before date and storage instructions, then allow time to chill the drinks if you plan to serve them cold.