Hosts serving several guests
A 2-litre bottle gives eight 250ml glasses if everyone takes that serving size. Check how much other soft drink you will offer before deciding how many bottles to buy.
Who is each format for?
Choose the serving format around how many guests will share a drink and whether they expect lemonade or lemon-and-lime.
Shoppers checking sugars and ingredients
Compare sugars per 100ml and read the ingredient list, even when the front of a lemonade bottle says ‘no added sugar’. Fruit ingredients and the sweeteners used differ between products.
Hosts wanting separate servings
Cans make it straightforward for guests to take their own drink. Check the can size and pack quantity against the number of guests, particularly if some will prefer another flavour.
What should you check before choosing?
Decide on flavour and serving format first, then compare the nutrition panel and ingredients of the drinks that fit.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Read the front-of-pack wording and sugars per 100ml. Sainsbury's lists 0.6g sugars per 250ml glass for its Cloudy Lemonade No Added Sugar. | I want to know what is in the drink, rather than treating ‘no added sugar’ as a promise of zero sugars. |
| Sweeteners | Compare the exact ingredient lists. ASDA lists acesulfame K and sucralose in its Diet Lemonade; Tesco lists aspartame, acesulfame K and saccharin in R.White's Diet Lemonade cans. | A guest avoids a particular sweetener, so I need to check the product I will actually serve. |
| Serving format | Check bottle volume or can count and size. A 2-litre bottle provides eight 250ml portions; a 6 × 330ml multipack provides six separate cans. | Will guests share bottles at the drinks table, or would separate cans make serving easier? |
| Flavour | Check whether the drink is lemonade or lemon-and-lime. Coca-Cola GB describes Sprite Zero as lemon-and-lime; Sainsbury's describes its no-added-sugar cloudy lemonade as a lemon drink containing fruit ingredients. | I want a familiar lemonade serve for the group, or I know they would welcome a lemon-and-lime alternative. |
| Dietary declaration | Look for a declaration on the exact product. Tesco lists its No Added Sugar Cloudy Lemonade 2 Litre as suitable for vegans. | If a guest needs a particular dietary declaration, I want to confirm it on the chosen pack. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading ‘no added sugar’ as ‘zero sugars’
A drink labelled ‘no added sugar’ can still declare sugars from fruit ingredients. Sainsbury's Cloudy Lemonade No Added Sugar, for example, lists 0.6g sugars per 250ml glass.
Read the sugars line per 100ml as well as the front label, then check the ingredients if fruit juice or sweetener type matters.
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Choosing by the front label alone
Diet and no-added-sugar drinks can use different sweeteners. ASDA's Diet Lemonade and the R.White's Diet Lemonade cans listed by Tesco name different combinations.
Compare the current ingredient panels before buying for guests with stated ingredient preferences.
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Assuming lemon-and-lime will stand in for lemonade
Sprite Zero is described by Coca-Cola GB as lemon-and-lime, while the Sainsbury's cloudy lemonade listing describes a lemon drink with fruit ingredients. The distinction matters if guests are expecting conventional lemonade.
Choose the flavour deliberately; offer lemon-and-lime as an alternative when guests want it.
Relevant drink brands and ranges
These examples show why the exact product and pack matter more than a brand name alone.
Tesco
Tesco lists a No Added Sugar Cloudy Lemonade in a 2-litre bottle for sharing.
- Tesco describes this product as suitable for vegans.
- Check the current pack's ingredients and dietary declaration before serving.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists no-added-sugar cloudy lemonade in a 2-litre bottle and a 6 × 330ml multipack.
- The 2-litre listing declares 0.6g sugars and 8kcal per 250ml glass.
- Its fruit ingredients and sweeteners make the ingredient list worth checking for the guests you are serving.
Asda
ASDA lists Diet Lemonade in a 2-litre sharing bottle.
- The ASDA listing declares 0g sugars and 3kcal per 250ml.
- Its listed sweeteners are acesulfame K and sucralose; check the pack if either matters to a guest.
R.White's
R.White's Diet Lemonade is listed by Tesco in a 6 × 330ml can multipack.
- The Tesco listing declares 0g sugars and 7kcal per can.
- The listed ingredients include aspartame, acesulfame K and saccharin.
Sprite
Coca-Cola GB describes Sprite Zero as a no-sugar lemon-and-lime soft drink.
- It offers a distinct flavour option when guests want lemon-and-lime.
- Do not assume its flavour will meet a request for conventional lemonade.
M&S
The M&S lemonade range includes products labelled Diet Lemonade and Diet Cloudy Lemonade.
- Its range includes different lemonade styles and pack sizes.
- Check the chosen product's label and availability at the shop you plan to use.
Joybuy cans for individual servings
These Joybuy options are multipacks for serving guests individually: one is named as lemonade, while the Sprite and 7UP Zero options are lemon-and-lime alternatives. Check the exact pack if the wording ‘no added sugar’ is essential to your choice.
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7 Up Lemonade Zero 24 × 330ml
Consider this pack when you want separate lemonade servings for a BBQ.
The product name specifies 24 × 330ml. Check the current pack's sugars declaration, sweeteners and claim wording against your guests' needs.
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Sprite No Sugar 8 × 330ml
Consider this smaller multipack if guests would prefer lemon-and-lime to conventional lemonade.
The product name specifies 8 × 330ml. Check the current pack's sugars declaration, ingredients and claim wording before serving.
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7UP Zero 24 × 330ml
Consider this larger multipack when guests are happy with a lemon-and-lime alternative served individually.
The product name specifies 24 × 330ml. Check the current pack's sugars declaration, sweeteners and claim wording if those details affect your choice.
Questions about BBQ lemonade
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean zero sugars?
No. Check the sugars line rather than assuming the two descriptions mean the same thing: Sainsbury's Cloudy Lemonade No Added Sugar lists 0.6g sugars per 250ml glass and contains fruit ingredients.
How much lemonade should I allow for a small BBQ?
A 2-litre bottle provides eight 250ml glasses at that serving size. Consider how many guests will choose lemonade, whether they may refill and what other drinks you will serve before deciding on a quantity.
Do diet and zero-sugar drinks contain sweeteners?
The checked diet lemonade examples do: ASDA lists acesulfame K and sucralose, while Tesco's R.White's listing names aspartame, acesulfame K and saccharin. Read the ingredient list on the exact pack if a guest avoids a particular sweetener.
Can I assume no-added-sugar lemonade is suitable for vegans?
No; check the declaration for the product you choose. Tesco explicitly lists its No Added Sugar Cloudy Lemonade 2 Litre as suitable for vegans, but that does not establish the status of every lemonade.
What if some guests will not want lemonade?
Offer another drink rather than assuming everyone will take a glass. If guests want lemon-and-lime, Sprite Zero is described by Coca-Cola GB as that flavour; choose it as a separate option, not as an identical replacement for lemonade.