Hosts serving mixed drinks with lunch
If guests are choosing different spirits or mixers, individual 150ml cans let you open portions as they are needed. Check how many drinks the pack needs to cover.
Who are these cans for?
Buyers comparing sugar and sweeteners
Reduced-calorie and zero-sugar tonic are not interchangeable. The Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Premium Indian Tonic lists fructose and 3.8g sugars per 100ml; Schweppes Slimline lists 0g sugars per 100ml and contains aspartame.
Hosts offering an alcohol-free drink
A canned drink served on its own may suit guests who do not want a spirit and mixer. Fentimans presents its lightly sparkling English Apple as an option for light lunches; check the pack format if you need several cans.
What should you check before choosing?
Decide what guests will drink, then compare portion size, ingredients and flavour on the exact pack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and pack size | Count the cans and check their volume. The listed tonic and ginger-ale examples include 8, 12 or 15 cans of 150ml; larger cans change how you plan each serve. | I want guests to open individual drinks without opening more mixer than the lunch calls for. |
| Sugar and sweeteners | Compare energy and sugars per 100ml, then read the ingredients. Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Premium Indian Tonic lists 15 kcal and 3.8g sugars per 100ml; Schweppes Slimline lists 2 kcal and 0g sugars per 100ml and contains aspartame. | If zero sugar is important to me, a reduced-calorie label alone does not answer the question. I also need to know which sweetener is used. |
| Flavour and intended serve | Check whether the can is quinine-led tonic, ginger ale or a standalone soft drink. Fever-Tree describes its Indian Tonic for gin, vodka and vermouth, and its Ginger Ale as a mixer or drink on its own. | Some guests may want a classic bitter mixer, while others would rather have a ginger-led drink without a spirit. |
| Guest ingredients | Read the label of the exact pack before serving. Schweppes Slimline lists aspartame and states that it contains a source of phenylalanine. GOV.UK says drinks with two or more ingredients must list them and applicable allergens must be highlighted. | When a guest avoids an ingredient, I need to check the can they will actually be served, rather than rely on the range name. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming 'light' means zero sugar
Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Premium Indian Tonic lists 3.8g sugars per 100ml and uses fructose. Schweppes Slimline lists 0g sugars per 100ml but contains aspartame and a source of phenylalanine.
Compare sugars and energy per 100ml alongside the complete ingredients list on the exact pack.
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Choosing a flavour before deciding what it will be served with
Indian tonic offers a quinine-led style; ginger ale has a different, ginger-led flavour. One is not a substitute for the other in every guest's drink.
Choose tonic for guests who want that mixer style, and add ginger ale when it suits the planned drinks or will be served on its own.
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Assuming a canned drink comes in a multipack
Fentimans presents English Apple as a canned drink for light lunches, but the individual can description does not establish the pack format you need for a gathering.
Check the retailer's listing for the number and size of cans before planning portions.
Brand and range references
Fever-Tree
Its listed canned range includes Indian tonic, Refreshingly Light Premium Indian tonic and ginger ale for different intended serves.
- The listed formats include 8 × 150ml Indian Tonic, 15 × 150ml Refreshingly Light Premium Indian Tonic and 8 × 150ml Refreshingly Light Ginger Ale.
- The Refreshingly Light Indian tonic uses fructose and lists 3.8g sugars per 100ml; it is not a zero-sugar tonic.
Schweppes
Its Slimline Tonic Water is listed in a 12 × 150ml can format for individual tonic serves.
- The listed Slimline tonic has 0g sugars and 2 kcal per 100ml.
- It contains aspartame and states that it contains a source of phenylalanine; check whether those ingredients suit your guests.
Britvic
Britvic announced six-packs of 330ml Indian Tonic cans in classic and zero-sugar variants for UK grocery in September 2023.
- Britvic described each 330ml can as providing two serves at that launch.
- For a lunch planned around individual cans, check whether that larger can size fits the way drinks will be poured.
Fentimans
Fentimans describes tonic and ginger-ale mixers as well as canned English Apple for drinking on its own.
- The brand presents English Apple as a lightly sparkling drink for light lunches and outdoor snacks.
- Check the exact English Apple pack format before counting it as a multipack option.
Tesco
Tesco's tonic and soda-water catalogue shows own-label cans alongside Fever-Tree and Schweppes formats.
- The catalogue lists Tesco soda water and low-calorie Indian tonic in 6 × 250ml formats.
- A 250ml can is a different portion size from the 150ml mixer cans; compare it with the drinks you intend to serve.
Joybuy mixer and soft-drink options
These cans cover tonic for mixed drinks and ginger-led drinks that can be served separately. Compare the smaller 150ml portions with the larger ginger-beer cans when planning a ploughman's lunch.
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Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water 12 × 150ml
For individual tonic serves when zero sugar is the priority. The listed drink has 0g sugars and 2 kcal per 100ml; it contains aspartame and states that it contains a source of phenylalanine.
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Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water 8 × 150ml
Eight individual cans of Indian tonic for guests choosing a quinine-led mixer with gin, vodka or vermouth. The product description states that it contains no artificial flavours or sweeteners; check its nutrition label if sugar content affects your choice.
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Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Ginger Ale 8 × 150ml
Eight individual ginger-ale cans for a ginger-led mixer or a drink served on its own. This is a different flavour route from quinine-led tonic; check the ingredients and nutrition label if a particular sugar or sweetener profile matters.
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Canada Dry Ginger Ale Mini 12 × 150ml
A 12-can ginger-ale option for individual portions, whether guests want a mixer or a soft drink on its own. Check the exact can's nutrition and ingredients label before choosing it for a particular dietary preference.
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Old Jamaica Ginger Beer 24 × 330ml
A ginger-beer multipack with 24 larger, 330ml cans. Allow for the different can size and pack count when planning serves for a smaller lunch, and read the exact can label for ingredients.
Questions about serving mixer cans
What can size works for individual drinks at lunch?
The listed 150ml tonic and ginger-ale cans make it straightforward to open one small can at a time. Count the serves you expect before choosing between the available 8-, 12- and 15-can formats; a 330ml can is a different portion to plan around.
Does 'light' tonic mean zero sugar?
No. Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Premium Indian Tonic lists 3.8g sugars per 100ml and uses fructose, while Schweppes Slimline lists 0g sugars per 100ml and contains aspartame. Compare the nutrition panel and ingredients on the exact pack.
What if a guest avoids aspartame or phenylalanine?
Read the current label before serving. Schweppes Slimline lists aspartame and states that it contains a source of phenylalanine; choose a drink whose listed ingredients meet the guest's requirements rather than relying on a 'slimline' or 'light' name.
Can mixer cans be served without alcohol?
Some are presented for drinking on their own as well as mixing. Fever-Tree describes its Ginger Ale that way, while Fentimans presents canned English Apple as a lightly sparkling drink for light lunches. Choose by guests' flavour preferences and check the pack format if you need multiple cans.
What should I do with empty cans?
Empty them and follow your local authority's recycling instructions. WRAP's guidance includes metal packaging among household recycling materials in England, while noting that collection details vary.