Anyone who wants a drink straight after training
A sealed sparkling can avoids measuring concentrate or finding sparkling water. Bottlegreen Drinks and Belvoir Farm each describe a 330ml elderflower can that is ready to drink.
Who is each format for?
Light packers who can mix a drink later
A small concentrate may be easier to carry than a prepared drink. Robinsons Mini is designed to be added to water; M&S and Waitrose cordials can be mixed with sparkling water when you reach your destination.
Shoppers checking sugar and ingredients
Compare drinks at the dilution or serving size you will actually consume. Read the current ingredients list if sweeteners or allergens affect your choice; neither fizz nor a no-added-sugar description tells you everything about a drink.
What should you check before buying?
Decide where you will prepare the drink, then compare labels on a consistent serving basis.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to drink | Check whether the drink is already sparkling and sealed as a single serving, or needs dilution. A concentrate needs sparkling water if you want fizz. | I want to open a drink after training without carrying another bottle or mixing anything. |
| Bag space and mixing | Check the container size and where you will get sparkling water. For Waitrose No.1 Elderflower Cordial, Waitrose & Partners suggests one part cordial to four parts water. | A small concentrate suits my bag, and I can prepare the drink when I arrive. |
| Sugar per drink | Compare per-100ml figures alongside the amount you will drink. For concentrates, use the stated prepared-drink dilution rather than comparing concentrate with a ready-to-drink can. | I want to know the sugar content of my actual serving, not just the smallest number on the label. |
| Ingredients and storage | Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration. Check storage instructions, particularly if you expect to keep some of the drink after opening. | Sweeteners, sulphites or storage requirements may affect what I choose to carry. |
| Exercise hydration | The NHS recommends water for replacing fluid lost through physical activity. Check a flavoured drink’s label rather than assuming it serves a sports-drink purpose. | I want a fizzy flavour after the gym, while keeping water available when I need a drink during exercise. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming cordial is already fizzy
A concentrate does not provide carbonation on its own, even if its directions say it can be mixed with sparkling water.
Choose a ready-to-drink sparkling can for immediate fizz, or plan where you will mix the cordial with sparkling water.
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Comparing sugar figures for different quantities
Labels may give figures per 100ml, per can or for a drink prepared at a specified dilution. Those numbers do not describe the same amount of drink.
Check the serving you expect to have and follow the concentrate’s dilution directions when making a comparison.
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Treating no added sugar as an ingredients shortcut
A no-added-sugar squash can still contain sweeteners or other ingredients you prefer to avoid. Robinsons identifies sweeteners and sodium metabisulphite in its Lemon & Lime Mini.
Read the pack’s full ingredients list. GOV.UK says that any of the 14 regulated allergens present in a prepacked drink must be clearly identified within that list.
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Assuming a fizzy drink has a sports-drink purpose
The NHS recommends water to replace fluid lost through physical activity. A cordial-style soft drink’s flavour or carbonation does not establish a particular exercise benefit.
Keep water in mind for exercise and choose an additional flavoured drink according to its ingredients, serving size and your preference.
Brands and product ranges to consider
These examples illustrate ready-to-drink and mix-later formats; check the particular product rather than assuming every drink from a brand has the same recipe.
Bottlegreen
Bottlegreen Drinks offers an Elderflower Pressé Can alongside cordial products.
- Its 330ml Elderflower Pressé Can is described by Bottlegreen Drinks as lightly sparkling and suitable for taking out.
- A ready-to-drink can carries the full prepared drink volume, unlike a concentrate mixed later.
Belvoir Farm
Belvoir Farm offers a ready-to-drink Sparkling Elderflower Can as well as larger drink formats.
- The 330ml can needs no separate sparkling water; Belvoir Farm states that it contains no allergens.
- Belvoir Farm lists 15g sugars per 330ml can and instructs shoppers to store it in a cool, dark place.
Robinsons
Robinsons Lemon & Lime Mini is a compact squash intended for adding to water.
- The small concentrate format suits mixing at your destination when sparkling water is available.
- It is not fizzy on its own; check its sweeteners and sodium metabisulphite on the current label.
M&S Food
M&S Food’s Fragrant British Elderflower Cordial is a concentrate for dilution.
- Marks & Spencer says it can be diluted with still or sparkling water.
- It requires mixing, so it will not provide an immediate sparkling drink straight from the gym bag.
Waitrose No.1
Waitrose No.1 Elderflower Cordial offers another concentrate-and-sparkling-water route.
- Waitrose & Partners suggests mixing one part cordial with four parts sparkling or still water, with adjustment to taste.
- You need water and a way to mix it before drinking; check the current ingredients if sulphites matter to you.
Ready-to-drink options on Joybuy
These three sparkling soft drinks suit the ready-to-drink side of the gym-bag decision. They are not cordial concentrates to mix with sparkling water.
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Dalston's Fizzy Elderflower 330ml
A 330ml fizzy elderflower drink to consider when you want a prepared sparkling option rather than cordial to mix.
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Grace Tropical Rhythms Sparkling Sorrel Ginger 330ml
This 330ml sparkling sorrel and ginger drink is a ready-to-drink choice if you do not plan to mix cordial at the gym.
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Grace Tropical Rhythms Sparkling Fruit Punch 330ml
A 330ml sparkling fruit punch for the ready-to-drink route. Check the pack’s serving-based nutrition if you are comparing its sugar content with another drink.
Frequently asked questions
Is a sparkling cordial-style drink needed for gym hydration?
No particular exercise role is established by the drink being sparkling or cordial-style. The NHS recommends water for replacing fluid lost through physical activity; choose a flavoured drink according to its label and the taste you want.
What is the difference between cordial and sparkling pressé?
A cordial is a concentrate you dilute, while a sparkling pressé is already fizzy and ready to drink. Waitrose & Partners suggests mixing its No.1 Elderflower Cordial with water; Bottlegreen Drinks describes its Elderflower Pressé Can as a lightly sparkling 330ml drink.
Can I use a concentrate to make a drink with less sugar?
Check the nutrition panel for the drink prepared at the stated dilution before deciding. Concentrates vary, and pouring a different amount changes the prepared drink; the NHS advises diluting squash and cordial well.
Should I check allergens on cordial and sparkling drinks?
Yes, check the current pack if allergens affect your choice. GOV.UK says that when a prepacked drink contains any of the 14 regulated allergens, they must be clearly identified within its ingredients list.
Can I keep an opened drink in my gym bag?
Follow that drink’s instructions for storage after opening rather than assuming an opened container can stay in your bag. Check the pack before setting aside a partly consumed drink; Belvoir Farm also specifies a cool, dark place for storing its Sparkling Elderflower Can.