Who is this for?

Hosts running a long game night

If guests make drinks between rounds, individually sealed portions let them open mixer as needed. Good Housekeeping advises considering mini cans or bottles when an opened sharing bottle would sit unused.

Hosts serving different drinks

A choice of classic tonic, a lighter tonic and another mixer may suit a group with different planned serves better than one bottle of a single flavour. Check which drinks guests actually want before choosing pack sizes.

Guests comparing tonic labels

Standard and light tonics can differ in calories and sugars. Compare the figures per 100ml and the amount you expect to pour, rather than relying on the word “light” alone.

What matters when choosing mixers?

Start with when drinks will be poured, then match the number and size of portions to the group. Check flavour and the current label before settling on a multipack.

Priority What to check Your needs
Keeping the fizz Consider when each portion will be opened. Good Housekeeping noted in January 2025 that opened tonic loses carbonation quickly; individual mini cans or bottles avoid opening a shared bottle for a single drink. I expect drinks to be made between rounds, rather than poured for everyone at once.
Pack and portion size Check both the unit count and volume on the product page. The Tesco and Sainsbury’s examples include 150ml cans in 8-, 12- and 15-can packs; a four-pack may contain a different drink or container. Four separate portions would fit a small gathering, but I do not want to mistake four larger bottles for four small tonic cans.
Flavour Match the mixer to the drinks being served. Fever-Tree lists several tonic flavours; Fentimans recommends its Premium Indian Tonic Water with London Dry gin. Ginger beer is a different choice from tonic. Some guests may want a familiar tonic, while others have a specific ginger or botanical drink in mind.
Calories and sugars Compare the same per-100ml measure, then check serving volume. Sainsbury’s lists Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water at 36 kcal and 8g sugars per 100ml, and its Refreshingly Light version at 15 kcal and 3.8g sugars per 100ml. I want guests who compare nutrition labels to have enough information to choose their own mixer.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Checking the count but not the container

    Four separately packed drinks are not necessarily four small cans. The four-packs in the Joybuy selection below are ginger beer bottles, while the Tesco and Sainsbury’s tonic examples include larger can multipacks.

    Read the full pack description for the number of units, volume per unit and whether they are cans or bottles before checkout.

  • Assuming all tonic labels are alike

    The standard and light Fever-Tree tonics listed by Sainsbury’s have different calorie and sugar figures per 100ml. The amount poured also affects the amount in a drink.

    Compare the current per-100ml labels and the serving volumes you plan to use.

  • Choosing one distinctive flavour for every drink

    A botanical tonic or ginger beer may fit a planned drink without fitting every guest’s choice. Fentimans, for example, recommends its Premium Indian Tonic Water with London Dry gin.

    Check the drinks menu first. If preferences vary, consider separate mixer flavours rather than making a specialist pairing the only option.

  • Overlooking the current ingredient label

    Guests with an ingredient or allergen question need information for the product being served, not an assumption about tonic or ginger beer as a category.

    Keep the packaging available and check its current ingredients and allergen information for the relevant guest.

Brand and retailer references

These ranges illustrate different mixer styles and pack formats; a brand reference does not mean every format is offered in this Joybuy selection.

Fever-Tree

Its tonic range includes Premium Indian and several flavoured styles for hosts planning different drinks.

  • Tesco lists Premium Indian and light tonic in 8 × 150ml cans, as well as a 15 × 150ml Premium Indian pack.
  • Check the exact variant and pack count; those listed formats are not four-can packs.

Schweppes

A reference point for standard and Slimline tonic in canned multipacks.

  • Tesco lists both Schweppes Tonic Water and Slimline Tonic Water in 12 × 150ml formats.
  • A 12-can pack may be more portions than a small game night requires.

Fentimans

Its Premium Indian Tonic Water is a botanical option for a planned pairing.

  • Fentimans describes lemon oil and lemongrass in this tonic and recommends serving it with London Dry gin.
  • Check whether that flavour suits the other drinks you intend to offer.

Britvic

Britvic announced classic and zero-sugar Indian tonic in a larger-can multipack for UK grocery in September 2023.

  • The announced format was six 330ml cans, an alternative portion size to the 150ml cans in the supermarket examples above.
  • That launch announcement does not establish the pack format or availability at a retailer today.

Tesco

Its mixer listing provides examples of branded tonic cans in several multipack sizes.

  • The listed Fever-Tree and Schweppes examples include 8-, 12- and 15-can packs.
  • Check the individual listing if your plan depends on exactly four portions.

Sainsbury's

Its mixer listing includes both own-label sharing bottles and branded tonic cans.

  • Listed own-label tonic and soda water come in 1L bottles, alongside branded 8- and 12-can examples.
  • A sharing bottle makes more sense when guests will use the same mixer soon after opening.

Four-bottle mixer options on Joybuy

These are four-bottle ginger beer packs for a game night where separate portions appeal. They are alternatives to consider if ginger beer fits the planned drinks, not four-can tonic packs.

Bundaberg Ginger Beer, four 375ml bottles

Bundaberg Ginger Beer 4 x 375ml

Four 375ml bottles can be opened separately as drinks are made during the evening. Choose this pack if ginger beer suits the drinks you plan to serve; it is not a four-can tonic pack.

View on Joybuy
Supermalt Ginger Beer, four 330ml bottles

Supermalt Ginger Beer 4 x 330ml

This pack contains four 330ml bottles of ginger beer for separate serves. Check that its ginger flavour and bottle format fit your plans if you set out to buy mixer cans.

View on Joybuy

Questions about packs and serving

Does a four-pack mean four small tonic cans?

No. Pack count, drink, container and unit size are separate details: the four-packs shown here are ginger beer bottles. The Tesco and Sainsbury’s tonic examples include larger can multipacks, so check the exact product description if you need four cans.

When should I choose individual mixers over a sharing bottle?

Choose individually sealed portions when guests will make drinks at different times. Good Housekeeping noted in January 2025 that tonic loses fizz quickly once opened; a sharing bottle is more practical when several guests will use the same mixer promptly.

How do I compare standard and light tonic?

Compare the current labels per 100ml, then account for how much you will pour. Sainsbury’s lists Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water at 36 kcal and 8g sugars per 100ml, versus 15 kcal and 3.8g sugars per 100ml for Refreshingly Light Premium Indian Tonic Water.

What should I check before serving a mixer to guests?

Check the actual pack for its ingredients and allergen information, particularly if a guest has a stated requirement. Keep the label available rather than assuming that different tonic or ginger beer products have the same formulation.