Hosts serving several kinds of spirit
If guests are bringing different gins, vodka or other spirits, start with a conventional tonic or soda water. Add a more distinctive flavour for a planned drink rather than making it the only mixer available.
Who is choosing the drinks?
The useful starting point is the drinks table: a party with several spirit choices needs a different mix of bottles and cans from one centred on ready-to-serve soft drinks.
Hosts planning alcohol-free serves
Include a sparkling option guests can enjoy over ice without a spirit. Ginger beer and flavoured sparkling soft drinks offer different tastes from plain soda water, so consider which flavours your guests will actually want.
Hosts balancing portions and label preferences
Individual cans make it straightforward to offer several mixer choices; a larger bottle makes more sense when several people plan to use the same one. Compare nutrition and ingredients on the exact variants if guests have particular requirements.
What should you check before buying?
List the drinks you expect to serve, then choose a plainer base and any additional flavours or pack formats those drinks call for.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Planned serves | Decide which drinks call for tonic, a more neutral soda water or ginger beer. Fever-Tree describes its Indian tonic for gin, vodka and fortified-wine serves; its Ginger Beer is presented for ginger-led mixed drinks or serving on its own. | With several spirits on the table, I want a mixer choice that does not commit every guest to a strong added flavour. |
| Flavour variety | Check whether a flavoured tonic, lemonade or sparkling fruit drink complements the planned serves. Fentimans lists both conventional and flavour-led tonics; a fruit drink is a separate choice, not a substitute for tonic in every recipe. | Some guests may prefer a ready-to-drink sparkling soft drink, while others want to mix their own drink with tonic or soda. |
| Nutrition and ingredients | Compare the nutrition panels per 100ml for the exact standard or light variants. Check ingredients and allergen information on the pack, rather than treating a range name as a statement about every product in it. | If I offer a light tonic or need to account for dietary requirements, I want to know which specific pack meets that request. |
| Pack format and availability | Match individual cans or larger bottles to expected use of each flavour. Tesco lists 150ml multipacks and 1-litre mixer formats. Confirm the exact item locally: Sainsbury’s says store and delivery ranges can differ. | For several flavours, I would choose individual portions; for a mixer many guests plan to use, I would consider a larger bottle. |
Common mixer-buying mistakes
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Choosing one strongly flavoured mixer for every drink
Ginger beer, flavoured tonic and lemonade bring different tastes to a serve. None plays quite the same role as plain soda water or conventional tonic when guests have varied spirits and preferences.
Plan the spirit-led drinks first. Keep a plainer mixer available, then add a ginger or fruit-led option for drinks that call for it.
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Treating every “light” mixer as nutritionally alike
Labels such as “light” and “slimline” identify variants, but they do not tell you that different flavours or brands have identical nutrition or ingredients.
Compare the figures per 100ml and the ingredient lists on the exact packs you intend to serve.
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Assuming a whole mixer range meets one dietary requirement
Information about one flavour or variant does not establish the ingredients of another. That matters when a guest needs to avoid a particular ingredient.
Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information before serving, even if you have bought a similar mixer before.
Brand and retailer references
These ranges illustrate different mixer and shopping routes; a brand’s inclusion here does not establish the contents or availability of a particular pack.
Fever-Tree
Its UK range spans tonic, soda and ginger mixers, making it a reference point when choosing between a conventional tonic serve and another sparkling flavour.
- Fever-Tree presents its Premium Indian Tonic for drinks including gin and vodka, and lists ginger beer separately.
- Check the individual product page or pack for its ingredients, nutrition and format; descriptions of one variant do not apply to the whole range.
Schweppes
Tesco’s tonic-and-soda listings include Schweppes tonic, slimline tonic and other mixer choices.
- The retailer listing includes small-can multipacks and larger formats within the mixer category.
- Check the exact Schweppes item for its pack size, nutrition and ingredients rather than applying category-level information to every variant.
Fentimans
Its mixer range offers conventional and flavour-led tonics alongside soda water, rose lemonade and ginger beer.
- The range gives hosts several distinct flavour routes when planning specific serves.
- A statement about Fentimans Ginger Beer or one tonic flavour should not be applied to other products in the range.
Britvic / The London Essence Company
London Essence is a Britvic mixer range that includes crafted lemonade and flavoured soda options alongside tonic.
- In May 2025, Britvic announced a 150ml six-can format for Crafted Lemonade, a portion size to consider for individual serves.
- That announcement does not establish whether a particular flavour or format is stocked in a local shop now.
Tesco
Its mixer listings include own-label tonic and soda water as well as branded options.
- The listings show standard and low-calorie mixer categories and a choice of pack formats.
- Check the current listing and the particular pack when deciding on a flavour, format or nutritional profile.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s is a retailer to check when planning where to obtain the mixers you have chosen.
- Its store stock checker can help with a specific item near the party date.
- Sainsbury’s says store and delivery ranges can differ, so an online listing does not establish availability through every shopping route.
Joybuy options for the party
These options cover ginger beer, tonic water, lemonade and a fruit-flavoured sparkling drink. They suit different places on a Christmas-party drinks table rather than one interchangeable mixer role.
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Old Jamaica Ginger Beer, 24 × 330ml
A ginger-led choice for guests planning spicy mixed drinks or an alcohol-free sparkling drink. The pack contains 24 individual 330ml cans. The product information identifies barley malt; check the current pack before serving it to anyone who needs to avoid that ingredient.
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Fever-Tree Naturally Light Tonic Water, 8 × 150ml
An individual-can tonic option when guests want tonic serves and a labelled light variant. The pack contains eight 150ml cans. Compare its current nutrition panel with any other tonic you plan to offer; the variant name does not describe another product’s ingredients or flavour.
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7 Up Lemonade Zero, 24 × 330ml
A lemonade option for guests who want a sparkling soft drink instead of tonic or ginger beer. The pack contains 24 individual 330ml cans. The product information identifies sweeteners and a source of phenylalanine; check the current pack for anyone with a relevant dietary requirement.
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J2O Orange & Passion Fruit, 12 × 250ml
A fruit-flavoured sparkling option for guests who want an individual drink rather than a plainer spirit mixer. The pack contains twelve 250ml cans. Check the exact pack’s ingredients and nutrition if sweetness or dietary requirements matter.
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Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water, 8 × 150ml
A conventional tonic choice for guests planning gin-and-tonic or other tonic-based serves. The pack contains eight 150ml cans. Its tonic flavour is distinct from neutral soda water; check the current label if guests have particular ingredient or nutrition requirements.
Christmas-party mixer questions
Should I choose tonic, flavoured tonic or soda water?
Start with conventional tonic or soda water if guests will mix different spirits and prefer different garnishes. Add a flavoured tonic for a planned serve that suits its particular flavour. Soda water is the more neutral option; it will not give a drink tonic’s characteristic bitterness.
When do cans make more sense than bottles?
Choose individual cans when you plan to offer several mixer flavours or make drinks one at a time. Consider a larger bottle when several guests expect to use the same mixer. Tesco’s mixer listings include 150ml multipacks and 1-litre formats, so check the size of the specific product you choose.
Does every light tonic have the same nutrition?
No. “Light” identifies a particular variant, not a shared nutrition profile across brands or flavours. Compare the figures per 100ml and the ingredients on the exact packs, including when choosing between standard and light versions from one brand.
What should I check for guests with allergies?
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the actual mixer pack before serving it. GOV.UK says food businesses must tell consumers about 14 specified allergens. If a guest needs further confirmation about a particular drink, ask the retailer or venue rather than relying on information for a different flavour.
Can I rely on a supermarket listing when planning the drinks?
Confirm the exact mixer and pack size through the shopping route you intend to use. Sainsbury’s says local stores and delivery stores can carry different ranges, and its store stock checker provides a way to check a particular store closer to the party.