Hosts serving guests of different ages
A ready-to-drink sparkling soft drink gives guests a fizzy option without a mixing step. Keep plain water visible too; the NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks for children.
Who is each serving option for?
Hosts planning a self-serve drinks table
Cordial can be prepared in measured jugs, while cans need no mixing. For either setup, keep the original packaging accessible so guests can check ingredients and, for concentrates, preparation directions.
Hosts checking ingredients for guests
Compare the exact bottles or cans you intend to serve. ASDA’s listing for Robinsons Double Strength Apple & Blackcurrant, for example, declares sulphur dioxide or sulphites; a no-added-sugar label is not a substitute for reading the ingredient information.
What should you check before buying?
Decide whether drinks will be served straight from a can or mixed at the venue, then plan the separate water and squash choices and how their labels will remain available.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-to-serve fizz | Check that the exact drink is sparkling, non-alcoholic and ready to drink. Sainsbury’s describes Belvoir Farm Sparkling Elderflower 330ml as a non-alcoholic sparkling drink. | I want a chilled fizzy soft drink that guests can take without waiting for a jug to be mixed. |
| Measured jugs | Look for an explicit sparkling-water direction and use the bottle’s ratio. Tesco’s Belvoir Elderflower Cordial listing specifies dilution at 1:10 with water or sparkling water. | For a drinks station, I would rather prepare a measured mix and have sparkling water ready for further jugs. |
| Children’s drinks | Provide plain water; the NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks for children. If serving squash as an additional option, follow the particular bottle’s dilution direction. | Children need an easy-to-spot water choice, even if there is also a fruit-flavoured squash on the table. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the purchased pack and leave it accessible at a self-serve station. ASDA’s Robinsons Apple & Blackcurrant listing declares sulphur dioxide or sulphites. | If a guest needs to avoid an ingredient, I want them to be able to identify exactly which drink is in each jug. |
| Opened bottles | Check each cordial’s after-opening storage and use-within directions before preparing extra jugs. | I would prefer to open another bottle when it is needed rather than leave several opened concentrates at the table. |
What can go wrong at the drinks table?
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Assuming “no added sugar” answers every ingredient question
The wording does not tell a guest whether the drink contains an ingredient they need to avoid. ASDA’s listed Robinsons Apple & Blackcurrant squash, for instance, declares sulphur dioxide or sulphites.
Label squash as a separate choice, keep its pack available and provide plain water for children rather than relying on squash alone.
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Mixing cordial without its preparation directions
A concentrate needs measuring, and the direction for one bottle should not be assumed to apply to another. Tesco’s Belvoir Elderflower Cordial listing specifies 1:10 with water or sparkling water.
Choose a cordial labelled for the mixer you plan to use and follow the ratio on the purchased bottle.
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Serving unlabelled jugs
Once a drink has been poured into a jug, guests cannot identify its ingredients from the serving container alone.
Label each jug and keep its original bottle nearby so guests can read the current ingredient and allergen information.
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Opening cordial before it is needed
After-opening storage instructions are product-specific, so unopened and opened bottles need different planning for the event.
Prepare batches as needed and follow the storage and use-within directions on each bottle.
Which brands and ranges are relevant?
These references show different ways to source a finished sparkling drink, a cordial and a separate squash; check the exact product before planning servings.
Robinsons
A squash option for a separate drinks station. ASDA lists Robinsons Double Strength Apple & Blackcurrant No Added Sugar Squash 1L.
- The listed Apple & Blackcurrant product directs one part concentrate to nine parts water.
- That same product declares sulphur dioxide or sulphites; it is a concentrate, not a ready-to-drink sparkling drink.
Tesco
A retailer with sparkling-water formats and a cordial range for a mixed drinks station.
- Tesco’s sparkling-water listing includes 12 × 500ml and 6 × 2L formats, while its cordial range lists Belvoir, Bottlegreen and Robinsons.
- Check the selected water and cordial locally before relying on a particular format for the event.
Sainsbury’s
A retailer listing both a finished sparkling elderflower drink and sparkling-water formats.
- Sainsbury’s identifies Belvoir Farm Sparkling Elderflower 330ml as a non-alcoholic sparkling drink; its water range lists 4 × 2L and 12 × 500ml formats.
- Check the specific drink label and local availability before planning quantities.
Asda
A retailer with a no-added-sugar squash category and a listed Robinsons double-strength product.
- ASDA’s Apple & Blackcurrant listing gives a one-part-to-nine-parts-water dilution direction.
- Its sulphites declaration shows why the individual pack matters more than the category label when guests have ingredient restrictions.
M&S
A cordial range for hosts who want to mix a drink at the venue.
- Marks & Spencer says its cordials can be diluted with still or sparkling water.
- Follow the chosen bottle’s ingredient, dilution and after-opening directions rather than applying one recipe to the whole range.
Waitrose
A retailer listing several cordial flavours for guests who prefer a drink mixed with water.
- Waitrose & Partners lists elderflower, berry, citrus and ginger cordials, including no-added-sugar options.
- Check the exact bottle for its ingredients and whether its directions cover sparkling-water preparation.
Joybuy drinks for this party setup
These options include a ready-to-drink sparkling elderflower can and concentrates for a separate squash station. Check each concentrate’s bottle directions before using sparkling water in place of still water.
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Dalston’s Fizzy Elderflower 330ml
A ready-to-drink fizzy elderflower option for guests who want a can rather than a mixed jug. Keep plain water available separately for children, and check the current can for ingredients.
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Ribena No Added Sugar Blackcurrant Concentrate 1.5L
A blackcurrant concentrate for a separate squash choice, not a finished sparkling drink. Follow the purchased bottle’s dilution and age guidance, and check its directions before preparing a fizzy jug.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Summer Fruits Squash 1L
A Summer Fruits squash concentrate for guests who prefer a fruit-flavoured drink. Read this bottle’s mixing directions before serving and check its ingredient label for guests with restrictions.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
An orange squash concentrate for a separate drinks station rather than a ready-made fizzy serve. Check the purchased bottle’s dilution and age guidance before offering it to children.
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Ribena No Added Sugar Pineapple and Passion Fruit Squash 850ml
A pineapple and passion fruit squash concentrate if you want another flavour at the separate squash station. Use the current bottle for preparation directions, ingredients and nutrition information.
Questions about serving sparkling drinks and squash
Is a sparkling party drink the same thing as squash?
No. You can serve a finished sparkling soft drink straight from its container, or mix a concentrate according to its label. Tesco’s Belvoir Elderflower Cordial listing expressly permits dilution with sparkling water; check the direction on any different squash or cordial before making it fizzy.
What should be available for young children?
Make plain water easy to find. The NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks for children; squash can be an additional, labelled choice rather than the only drink set out for them.
Does “no added sugar” mean there is no need to read the label?
No. That wording alone does not answer questions about the drink’s other ingredients or whether it suits a particular guest. Read the current pack: ASDA’s listing for Robinsons Double Strength Apple & Blackcurrant No Added Sugar Squash declares sulphur dioxide or sulphites.
How do I prepare cordial with sparkling water?
Use the chosen bottle’s directions rather than a ratio for cordial in general. Tesco’s Belvoir Elderflower Cordial listing specifies dilution at 1:10 with water or sparkling water; keep its packaging by the drinks station for ingredient checks.
What should guests be able to check at a self-serve table?
They should be able to identify the drink in each jug and read its current ingredient and allergen information. Label the serving containers and retain their original packaging, particularly when several concentrates or flavours are being offered.