Who are you serving?

The most useful starting point is whether a guest wants to avoid alcohol, reduce it or simply choose a different mixer.

Guests avoiding alcohol

Offer a separate drink whose stated ABV meets their requirement. Check the exact pack rather than assuming a tonic or a low-alcohol ready-to-drink product will suit them.

Guests choosing less alcohol

A lower-ABV finished drink or base addresses the alcohol in the serve. Adding more mixer to the same measure of spirit changes its dilution, not the amount of spirit poured.

Guests with different mixer preferences

Light or slimline tonic may suit a preference about mixer calories or sweetness. Make that choice separately from the ABV of any spirit or aperitif served with it.

What should you check before buying?

A drink for avoiding alcohol

Choose when: a guest wants a serve without a regular alcoholic base.

Check: the stated ABV still needs to meet that guest’s requirement, especially if complete avoidance matters.

A low-alcohol drink

Choose when: a guest wants to reduce alcohol rather than avoid it completely.

Bear in mind: Drinkaware says low-alcohol drinks still contain alcohol and can be up to 1.2% ABV.

A light mixer with a spirit

Choose when: the preference concerns the mixer’s nutrition or flavour, while the guest still wants a regular spirit.

Bear in mind: changing the mixer does not change the alcohol units in the spirit already poured.

Decide on the alcohol content of each serve first, then compare mixers for nutrition, flavour and format.

Priority What to check Your needs
Stated ABV Read the ABV on the exact ready-to-drink product or base. Drinkaware says low-alcohol drinks can contain up to 1.2% ABV. If I’m serving someone who wants to avoid alcohol, I need to know whether the labelled ABV meets their requirement.
Spirit measure Check both the spirit’s ABV and the volume poured. The NHS calculates units as ABV (%) × volume (ml) ÷ 1,000. For a guest reducing alcohol, I want to change the alcoholic pour or base, not just add more mixer.
Mixer nutrition Compare calories and sugars per 100ml on the mixers’ nutrition panels; check the alcoholic base separately. I may prefer a light tonic, but I don’t want its label to stand in for an alcohol-content check.
Flavour and format Consider tonic, soda, ginger ale or a finished drink, then check pack size against the number of serves planned. Sainsbury’s mixer listings and Fentimans’ range show several of these formats. Not everyone at the table wants tonic; I’d like a distinct option for guests who prefer another flavour.

Common mix-ups to avoid

  • Expecting a light mixer to make a spirit low alcohol

    A different mixer can change the drink’s flavour or nutrition, but the alcohol in the measured spirit remains.

    Choose the mixer and alcoholic base separately. If reducing alcohol is the aim, check the base’s ABV and the amount poured.

  • Treating low alcohol as alcohol-free

    Drinkaware says low-alcohol drinks still contain alcohol and can be up to 1.2% ABV. That distinction matters when a guest wants to avoid it completely.

    Ask what the guest needs and check the numerical ABV on the exact pack before serving.

  • Offering only tonic to guests skipping spirits

    Tonic will not suit every flavour preference. Retailer and Fentimans ranges also include options such as soda and ginger ale.

    Set out a non-tonic choice and keep its label available so guests can check the ingredients.

Brand and retailer references

These ranges can help you plan different serves; check the individual product label rather than relying on a brand or category name.

Fever-Tree

Offers tonic choices as well as a separately listed low-alcohol ready-to-drink G&T.

  • Sainsbury’s identifies its Mediterranean G&T 25cl as 0.5% low alcohol.
  • That 0.5% drink is distinct from Fever-Tree tonic; a light tonic does not establish the ABV of a mixed serve.

Schweppes

A tonic and slimline tonic reference for comparing mixer formats.

  • Tesco’s mixer listings include Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water and standard tonic options.
  • Check the exact mixer label and any alcoholic base; a slimline name is not a low-alcohol claim for the finished drink.

Fentimans

Provides a range of tonic flavours and non-tonic mixer types.

  • Fentimans lists tonic water, soda water, ginger ale and ginger beer in its mixer collection.
  • Its collection also features alcoholic and non-alcoholic recipes; check each product and serve rather than treating the whole range as one alcohol category.

Britvic

A reference for traditional tonic, soda and ginger ale formats.

  • Britvic’s 2016 range announcement included Indian Tonic, Low Calorie Indian Tonic, Ginger Ale and Soda.
  • That announcement describes a historical range; check a current product label before choosing a particular variant.

Tesco

A retailer reference for comparing tonic, slimline and other mixer categories.

  • Its listed mixer categories include standard and light tonic, slimline tonic, soda and ginger ale options.
  • Category labels help locate mixers, but the ABV of any alcoholic base still needs a separate check.

Sainsbury’s

Lists mixers separately from low- and no-alcohol drinks.

  • Its listings include tonic, soda and ginger ale, plus a Fever-Tree Mediterranean G&T labelled 0.5% low alcohol.
  • The listed 0.5% drink should be checked against the intended guest’s requirement rather than treated as a zero-alcohol choice.

A ready-to-drink option on Joybuy

This canned mojito-style drink is a separate Christmas dinner serve, rather than a mixer to add to a spirit.

Belvoir Non-Alcoholic Lime & Yuzu Mojito Can, 250ml

Belvoir Non-Alcoholic Lime & Yuzu Mojito Can, 250ml

For a guest who wants a drink without a spirit-based mix, this is a 250ml lime-and-yuzu mojito-style can. Check the exact pack’s ABV if complete alcohol avoidance matters.

View on Joybuy

Questions about Christmas dinner drinks

Does a light mixer make a drink low alcohol?

No. A light or slimline mixer does not remove alcohol from a spirit already poured. Check the spirit’s ABV and measure, or choose a finished drink or base with a suitable stated ABV.

What does low alcohol mean for a drink?

Drinkaware says a low-alcohol drink can contain up to 1.2% ABV, so it is not a default choice for someone avoiding alcohol completely. Read the numerical ABV on the product you intend to serve.

What should I serve someone who wants to avoid alcohol?

Choose a separate finished drink or base whose labelled ABV meets that guest’s requirement, and check the exact pack before serving. Do not substitute a low-alcohol ready-to-drink product without confirming that its ABV is acceptable to them.

How do I calculate the units in a mixed drink?

The NHS calculates alcohol units as ABV (%) × volume (ml) ÷ 1,000. Apply that calculation to the alcoholic component poured; adding more tonic does not remove its units.

What can I offer instead of tonic?

Soda or ginger ale gives guests a non-tonic mixer choice; Sainsbury’s listings and Fentimans’ range include both. Check the chosen product’s ingredients and the ABV of the finished serve or any base added to it.