Campers avoiding alcohol
Look for an explicit alcohol-free claim on the exact drink you intend to pack, rather than relying on its place in the mixer aisle. Check the pack’s alcohol-status wording and any stated ABV.
Who is choosing drinks for camp?
Campers planning lower-strength mixed drinks
Choose the base drink and its pour size deliberately. Changing the tonic or other mixer alone does not establish the alcohol content of the finished drink.
Small groups packing drinks with food
Compare individual cans with a shared bottle according to how many serves the group expects to use. Small portions allow people to open different drinks without opening a larger bottle at once.
What should you check before packing?
Decide whether you need a drink to serve on its own or a mixer for a separately chosen base, then choose a pack size that fits the trip.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol status | Read the exact pack’s alcohol-status claim and stated ABV. The Department of Health and Social Care’s UK guidance describes “low alcohol” for alcohol-substitute drinks as 1.2% ABV or below; it does not turn an ordinary soft-drink mixer into a labelled alcohol substitute. | I want a drink I can choose for alcohol avoidance without guessing from words such as “mixer”, “light” or “ginger beer”. |
| Finished serve | If mixing with an alcoholic drink, check that base’s ABV and the amount poured. The NHS identifies choosing lower-strength drinks as one way to cut down; mixer branding does not establish the finished drink’s strength. | For a mixed drink at camp, I want to decide what goes into each serve rather than assume the mixer makes it low alcohol. |
| Pack size | Compare the number and volume of cans with the serves your group expects. For a larger bottle, follow its own storage and after-opening directions. | If people want different drinks, I would rather open portions as needed than leave a shared bottle unfinished. |
| Flavour and nutrition | Choose tonic, lemonade or ginger flavour separately from alcohol status. Check the exact ingredients and per 100 ml nutrition information if those details affect your choice. | I want a flavour that works alongside our camping food, while making a separate decision about alcohol content. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Taking “light” or “slimline” to mean low alcohol
Those words do not establish the alcohol content of a mixed drink. An alcoholic base still contributes alcohol according to its strength and the amount poured.
Check the base drink’s ABV and decide the pour size. For alcohol avoidance, check an explicitly alcohol-free product’s exact pack instead.
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Inferring alcohol status from a flavour or ingredient
“Ginger beer”, “mixer” and “fermented” do not, by themselves, give you an ABV. Fentimans lists fermented ginger-root extract among its Ginger Beer ingredients; that ingredient wording is not an alcohol-status statement.
Read the alcohol-status wording and any ABV on the particular pack you are buying, especially when avoiding alcohol is essential.
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Opening a large bottle without a plan to finish it
The Joybuy listing for Fentimans Ginger Beer 750 ml directs consumers to use it within three days of opening. That matters if a small group will only want a few serves.
Match the bottle to the expected number of drinks and follow its storage directions. Consider individual cans when the group may choose different drinks.
An unfinished bottle may leave product unused within its stated after-opening period.
Relevant brand references
A brand’s regular mixers and its explicitly non-alcoholic drinks serve different buying decisions; check the particular product rather than applying one label to the whole range.
Fever-Tree
Its range includes conventional tonic mixers and a separately named non-alcoholic ready-to-drink G&T.
- Fever-Tree presents its Premium Indian Tonic cans as suitable for taking on the go.
- Fever-Tree describes its Non-Alcoholic Mediterranean G&T as a serve without alcohol; that description does not establish the status of its regular tonics.
Schweppes
A tonic option for campers comparing small mixer cans.
- Tesco Groceries listed both Tonic Water and Slimline Tonic Water in 12 × 150 ml packs.
- “Slimline” is not an alcohol-status claim for a finished mixed drink; check the exact product and chosen base.
Fentimans
Offers tonic waters, mixers and ginger-flavoured drinks for those choosing a flavour route.
- Fentimans lists fermented ginger-root extract in its Ginger Beer ingredients.
- That ingredient alone does not establish ABV. The Joybuy listing for the 750 ml Ginger Beer gives a three-day after-opening use period, which matters when choosing a shared bottle.
London Essence
A reference point for comparing portioned soft-drink packs with larger shared formats.
- Britvic announced a 150 ml six-can Crafted Lemonade multipack in May 2025.
- That pack announcement does not establish an alcohol-free claim for the drink; check the exact label.
Joybuy drinks and mixers to consider
These options include a ready-to-drink non-alcoholic-labelled drink and portioned tonic or ginger-ale mixers. Choose between those uses before comparing can counts and flavours; check the exact pack if alcohol avoidance is essential.
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Belvoir Non Alcoholic Lime & Yuzo Mojito, 2 × 250 ml cans
A portioned, ready-to-drink alternative rather than a tonic for mixing with a spirit. For complete alcohol avoidance, check the alcohol-status wording and ABV on the exact pack.
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Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Premium Indian Tonic Water, 15 × 150 ml
A conventional tonic in individual cans for separately planned serves. “Light” does not establish alcohol status or the strength of a drink mixed with an alcoholic base; check the pack and the base drink.
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Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water, 12 × 150 ml
The 150 ml cans offer separate tonic portions for a group. “Slimline” is not a low-alcohol claim: check the pack if alcohol avoidance matters, and assess any mixed drink by its base and pour size.
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Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Mediterranean Tonic Water, 8 × 150 ml
A tonic-mixer choice in eight separate cans when that pack size suits the group. Check its exact alcohol-status wording if needed; a “light” mixer does not determine the alcohol content of a finished serve.
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Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Ginger Ale, 8 × 150 ml
An individually portioned ginger-ale alternative to the tonic packs above. Its name does not establish an alcohol-free claim; check the exact pack, and consider any alcoholic base separately.
Frequently asked questions
Do “low alcohol” and “alcohol free” mean the same thing?
No. The Department of Health and Social Care’s UK guidance sets a limit of 1.2% ABV or below for the “low alcohol” description of alcohol-substitute drinks and treats “alcohol free” as a different descriptor. That guidance does not classify an ordinary soft-drink mixer merely because it can be added to a spirit; read the exact product label.
Does using a mixer make a camping drink low alcohol?
No. If the drink contains an alcoholic base, its ABV and the amount poured affect the finished serve. Choose the base deliberately rather than relying on a tonic’s “light” or “slimline” wording.
What should I choose if I want no alcohol?
Choose a specific drink explicitly presented as alcohol-free, then check the wording and any ABV on the pack you buy. Fever-Tree describes its Non-Alcoholic Mediterranean G&T as a serve without alcohol, but that description does not apply to its conventional tonics.
Are cans or a larger bottle easier to manage at camp?
Choose by the number of serves you expect to use and the bottle’s after-opening directions. Individual cans can be opened as needed; for Fentimans Ginger Beer 750 ml, the Joybuy listing says to store it in a cool, dry place and consume it within three days of opening.