Who is this for?

Hosts pouring drinks for a group

A ready-to-drink bottle avoids preparation. Consider how many glasses you expect to serve and what you will do with an opened bottle afterwards.

Shoppers comparing sugar and sweeteners

If the wording on the front of the bottle matters to your choice, check the sugars figure on the nutrition panel and the named sweeteners in the ingredients.

Shoppers checking drinks for guests

Distinguish lemonade from lemon-and-lime drinks or squash, and read the current label for ingredients and warnings relevant to your guests.

What should you check before buying?

Decide whether the drink must be lemonade and ready to pour, then compare pack size and the label details that matter to your group.

Priority What to check Your needs
Drink format Check whether the product is ready-to-drink lemonade, a lemon-and-lime soft drink or squash that needs water. ASDA directs shoppers to dilute its Lemon & Lime Squash one part squash to nine parts water. For immediate pouring, I want a ready-to-drink bottle. I would choose squash only if I can prepare it with water.
Sugars Compare sugars on the same per 100ml or serving basis. Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's each list 0.6g sugars per 250ml glass for their no-added-sugar cloudy lemonades; Tesco Groceries lists 0g per 100ml for R.White's Diet Lemonade. The words ‘no added sugar’ do not tell me the sugars figure by themselves, so I will read the nutrition panel.
Ingredients Read the current ingredients and warnings if a guest needs to avoid a particular ingredient. Sainsbury's lists sulphites in its cloudy lemonade; Tesco Groceries shows a source-of-phenylalanine warning for R.White's Diet Lemonade. When serving guests with ingredient requirements, I need to check the particular drink I buy, not assume all sugar-free or no-added-sugar options use the same ingredients.
Pack and storage Match the bottle or can count to the group. Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's list 2-litre lemonades and advise refrigeration and use within three days after opening; Marks & Spencer gives the same after-opening instruction for its Diet Cloudy Lemonade. A smaller bottle may suit my gathering if an opened fizzy drink is unlikely to be finished promptly.

What is easy to overlook?

  • Treating ‘no added sugar’ as ‘zero sugars’

    Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's each list 0.6g sugars per 250ml glass for their no-added-sugar cloudy lemonades. Tesco Groceries lists 0g per 100ml for R.White's Diet Lemonade; those figures use different serving bases.

    Read the sugars line and compare drinks using the same quantity, preferably per 100ml.

  • Picking up any fizzy citrus drink instead of lemonade

    Coca-Cola GB describes Sprite Zero as a lemon-and-lime soft drink. ASDA's Lemon & Lime Squash needs diluting, so neither serves the same pour-straight-from-the-bottle purpose as ready-to-drink lemonade.

    Check the product description and dilution directions before deciding what to serve.

  • Missing an ingredient disclosure

    Sainsbury's lemonade and ASDA's Lemon & Lime Squash list sulphites. Tesco Groceries lists a source-of-phenylalanine warning for R.White's Diet Lemonade. The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphites can trigger reactions in sensitive people.

    Check the label on the pack you will serve, particularly when a guest has a known ingredient requirement.

  • Opening more lemonade than the group will finish

    Tesco Groceries, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer advise refrigerating their listed ready-to-drink lemonades after opening and consuming them within three days.

    Choose the bottle size with your expected servings and likely leftovers in mind.

Relevant brand and retailer options

These examples illustrate different lemonade and citrus-drink formats; check the current pack when choosing a specific product.

Tesco

Tesco No Added Sugar Cloudy Lemonade is a ready-to-drink, carbonated 2-litre bottle.

  • Tesco Groceries lists 0.6g sugars and 6 kcal per 250ml glass.
  • Tesco Groceries advises refrigeration and use within three days after opening.

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's Cloudy Lemonade No Added Sugar is a ready-to-drink, carbonated 2-litre bottle.

  • Sainsbury's lists 0.6g sugars and 8 kcal per 250ml glass.
  • Its listed ingredients include sulphites; Sainsbury's advises use within three days after opening.

R.White's

R.White's Diet Lemonade is a ready-to-drink 2-litre lemon-flavoured option.

  • Tesco Groceries lists 0g sugars and 2 kcal per 100ml.
  • The Tesco Groceries listing names aspartame, acesulfame K and saccharin, and carries a source-of-phenylalanine warning.

M&S

M&S Diet Cloudy Lemonade is a 1-litre, no-added-sugar bottle for a smaller serving plan.

  • Marks & Spencer lists 0.2g sugars per 100g.
  • Marks & Spencer advises refrigeration and use within three days after opening.

Asda

ASDA Lemon & Lime Squash is a 1.5-litre no-added-sugar concentrate, not ready-to-drink lemonade.

  • ASDA directs one part squash to nine parts water, allowing servings to be prepared as needed.
  • Its listed ingredients include sulphur dioxide or sulphites; serving it requires water and preparation.

Sprite

Coca-Cola GB describes Sprite Zero as a lemon-and-lime soft drink rather than lemonade.

  • Coca-Cola GB lists 0g sugars and 1 kcal per 100ml for Sprite Zero.
  • Its product information states that it contains a source of phenylalanine.

Joybuy drink options

These packs offer a ready-to-serve lemonade option alongside lemon-and-lime soft drinks. Choose by the drink description and pack size rather than treating every citrus drink as lemonade.

7 Up Lemonade Zero, 24 × 330ml

7 Up Lemonade Zero 24 × 330ml

A 24-pack of 330ml drinks for serving individually at a gathering. The product is described as pink lemonade with lemon, lime and raspberry flavourings, rather than a lemon-only drink. Check the current pack for sweeteners and its phenylalanine disclosure if these matter to guests.

View on Joybuy
Sprite No Sugar, 8 × 330ml

Sprite No Sugar 8 × 330ml

Eight 330ml cans provide individually served fizzy drinks for a gathering. This is a lemon-and-lime soft drink, not lemonade; choose it only if that distinction works for your guests. Check the current pack for sweeteners and its phenylalanine disclosure.

View on Joybuy
7UP Zero, 24 × 330ml cans

7UP Zero 24 × 330ml cans

This 24-can pack is a lemon-and-lime soft-drink alternative, not lemonade. Consider whether the can count fits your gathering, and check the current pack for sweeteners and its phenylalanine disclosure.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Does ‘no added sugar’ mean lemonade contains no sugars?

No. Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's each list 0.6g sugars per 250ml glass for their no-added-sugar cloudy lemonades. Check the sugars figure on the nutrition panel of the bottle you choose.

What should I check before serving a lemon drink to guests?

Read the current ingredients and warnings for any requirements your guests have. Sainsbury's lists sulphites in its cloudy lemonade, while Tesco Groceries shows a source-of-phenylalanine warning for R.White's Diet Lemonade. The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphites can trigger reactions in sensitive people.

Is no-added-sugar squash interchangeable with lemonade?

Not when you need a drink that is ready to pour. ASDA instructs shoppers to dilute its Lemon & Lime Squash one part squash to nine parts water; the listed cloudy lemonades from Tesco and Sainsbury's are ready-to-drink carbonated bottles.

How should an opened lemonade bottle be kept?

Follow the instructions on the particular bottle. Tesco Groceries, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer each advise refrigerating their listed ready-to-drink lemonades after opening and consuming them within three days.