Hosts with toddlers or under-5 guests
Plan for still water as the children’s main drink rather than relying on sparkling water. Healthier Together NHS advises avoiding fizzy drinks and artificial sweeteners for children aged 1 to 5.
Who is planning the drinks?
Hosts serving children and adults
Keep still water easy to reach for children and serve plain sparkling water separately for adults or older guests. That lets guests choose fizz without making it the only water on the table.
Hosts serving a group
Work out how much of the optional sparkling drink you want to serve, then choose between larger bottles for pouring and smaller bottles for individual portions. Check the total volume, not just the number of bottles.
What should you check before buying?
Still water for children
Choose when: Young children are attending and you need a main drink for them.
Trade-off: It does not offer fizz, but Healthier Together NHS identifies water and milk as the drinks to offer children aged 1 to 5 and advises avoiding fizzy drinks.
Plain sparkling water as an extra
Choose when: Adults want a fizzy table drink, or older guests want an optional choice.
Trade-off: It is still a fizzy drink; Medway Community Healthcare NHS cautions that acidic fizzy drinks, even sugar-free ones, can wear tooth surfaces.
Once the children’s main drink is covered, check what is in the sparkling option and how you plan to serve it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Children’s drink | Provide plain still water separately. For guests aged 1 to 5, follow Healthier Together NHS guidance to avoid fizzy drinks. | Young children are coming, so I want their main drink available without relying on the sparkling option. |
| Ingredients | Check whether the label says plain sparkling water or flavoured water drink. A Sainsbury’s no-added-sugar blackcurrant and cherry example lists malic acid and sucralose. | If I want plain sparkling water, a no-added-sugar claim alone does not tell me that the drink is unflavoured. |
| Total volume | Read the bottle size, number of bottles and total pack volume. Tesco lists a 6x2L sparkling-water pack; Sainsbury’s lists a 4x2L pack. | I’m serving a group and need to know how much of the optional sparkling drink the pack actually provides. |
| Serving format | Decide whether you will pour from larger bottles or offer individual portions. The cited retailer listings include 2L bottles and 500ml multipacks. | Will guests serve themselves from bottles on the table, or would separate bottles be easier for this party? |
Party-drink pitfalls
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Treating sugar-free fizz as the children’s default
Carbonation still makes sparkling water a fizzy drink. Medway Community Healthcare NHS cautions that acidic fizzy drinks, including sugar-free ones, can wear tooth surfaces.
Put plain still water out for children first; keep sparkling water as a separate optional drink.
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Assuming “no added sugar” means plain water
Sainsbury’s blackcurrant and cherry flavoured sparkling-water drink is labelled no added sugar but lists malic acid, flavourings and sucralose.
Read the product description and ingredients if you need unflavoured sparkling water. Healthier Together NHS advises avoiding fizzy drinks and artificial sweeteners for children aged 1 to 5.
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Buying only sparkling drinks for guests of different ages
Infants and older guests do not have the same drink arrangements. The NHS gives separate feeding and water guidance for babies and young children.
Check with parents about any infant feeding arrangements and have still water available in suitable cups for children who drink it.
Brand and retailer ranges
These ranges illustrate formats and labels to compare; a brand’s inclusion here does not mean every format is offered in the product selection below.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists own-label plain sparkling mineral water in larger party formats, including a 6x2L pack.
- The 6x2L format provides 12L across six bottles for pouring.
- Check the pack volume against how much sparkling water you intend to serve; children still need a separate still-water option.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s Groceries lists plain sparkling spring water in 4x2L and 12x500ml packs, alongside flavoured sparkling drinks.
- The listed formats offer a choice between bottles for pouring and individual portions.
- Its no-added-sugar blackcurrant and cherry flavoured drink lists malic acid and sucralose; check the exact label if you want plain water.
Highland Spring
Tesco Groceries lists Highland Spring plain sparkling water in 6x1L and 8x500ml packs.
- The two listed bottle sizes suit different ways of serving an optional sparkling drink.
- Check both bottle size and pack count: the 6x1L and 8x500ml packs contain different total volumes.
San Pellegrino
Sainsbury’s Groceries describes its San Pellegrino 1L product as carbonated natural mineral water and lists a 6x1L pack.
- The listed 6x1L format can be poured at a table.
- Like other sparkling water, it should not replace still water as the main drink for young children.
M&S
Marks & Spencer lists plain sparkling-water products, including 2L bottles and a Collection 750ml option, as well as flavoured drinks.
- The listed sizes provide different options for pouring at a party table.
- Check the product label to distinguish plain sparkling water from a flavoured drink.
Plain sparkling-water options on Joybuy
These sparkling-water multipacks are options for serving fizz separately to adults or older guests. Keep still water available as the main drink for children.
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4 x Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 8x500ml
For offering individual bottles of the optional sparkling drink. Four packs of eight 500ml bottles provide 16L in total; keep still water available for children.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 6 x 0.5L
For individual servings alongside the children’s still-water option. Six 0.5L bottles provide 3L in total; the stated ingredients are natural mineral water and carbon dioxide.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 8x500ml
For offering separate 500ml bottles of sparkling water. The eight-bottle pack provides 4L in total; serve still water separately for children.
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Buxton Sparkling 8x500ml
For individual portions of the optional fizzy drink. Eight 500ml bottles provide 4L in total; the product is described as carbonated natural mineral water.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 6x1L
For pouring an optional sparkling drink at the party table. Six 1L bottles provide 6L in total; these are larger bottles than the 500ml portions above, and children should also have still water.
Questions about serving sparkling water
Should sparkling water be the main drink for children at a party?
Make plain still water the main option, particularly for children aged 1 to 5. Healthier Together NHS advises avoiding fizzy drinks for that age group, while Medway Community Healthcare NHS cautions that acidic fizzy drinks, including sugar-free ones, can wear tooth surfaces.
Is no-added-sugar flavoured sparkling water the same as plain sparkling water?
No. A Sainsbury’s blackcurrant and cherry flavoured sparkling-water drink is labelled no added sugar but lists malic acid, flavourings, potassium sorbate and sucralose. Check the ingredients if you want an unflavoured product.
Should I choose large bottles or individual bottles?
Choose around how you will serve the optional sparkling drink: larger bottles can be poured at the table, while 500ml bottles provide individual portions. Check bottle count and total litres so the pack matches your plans, and provide still water separately for children.
How should I open a bottle of flavoured sparkling water?
Follow the instructions on its label. Sainsbury’s blackcurrant and cherry flavoured sparkling-water label identifies the bottle as pressurised and says to cover the cap and point it away from the face when opening; it also says not to refill the bottle.