Couples making drinks at home
If you usually make one or two drinks, start with the flavour you want: neutral soda, bitter tonic or a mixer that adds its own flavour. Then choose a format that fits how many serves you are likely to make.
Who are these mixers for?
Shoppers comparing sugars and sweeteners
A slimline tonic, a naturally light tonic and plain soda water need not have the same ingredients or nutrition values. Compare sugars and energy per 100 ml, then read the ingredients for sweeteners on the particular drink you intend to buy.
Occasional hosts offering alcohol-free drinks
A fruit-led soda, lemonade or botanical mixer can be served on its own as well as used in a mixed drink. Choose flavours your guests would enjoy without a spirit, and check the pack format against the number of drinks planned.
Which mixer should you choose?
Decide how much flavour the mixer should contribute, then compare its ingredients and pack size for the drinks you plan to make.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and bitterness | Choose between neutral soda water, quinine-containing tonic and a botanical or fruit-led drink. Check the flavour named on the exact product rather than treating tonic and soda as substitutes. | I want the mixer to suit the drink: soda for neutral sparkle, tonic for bitterness, or elderflower, citrus or another distinct flavour when the mixer should shape the serve. |
| Sugars and sweeteners | Compare energy and sugars per 100 ml and read the ingredients for sweeteners. Coca-Cola Great Britain lists 0 kcal and 0 g sugars per 100 ml for Schweppes Soda Water; Fentimans lists 18 kcal and 3.4 g sugars per 100 ml for its Naturally Light Tonic Water. | If I am choosing a light or slimline drink, I want to know what it contains. Fentimans Naturally Light contains sugar, while the Schweppes Slimline Tonic ingredient listing includes aspartame. |
| Pack format | Check both the size of each can or bottle and the number supplied. Brand and retailer listings include 150 ml, 200 ml and 250 ml individual units or multipacks, as well as 500 ml and 1 L bottles; formats vary by product. | For one or two drinks, I may prefer individually portioned mixers or a choice of flavours. A larger bottle makes more sense when I expect to use it for several drinks on the same occasion. |
| Ingredient suitability | Read the exact tonic’s ingredient list for quinine and check any sweeteners or other ingredients relevant to you. Do not assume every sparkling mixer has the same formulation. | If I need to avoid quinine or a particular sweetener, I will check the label before choosing a drink, including when trying a different variant from a familiar brand. |
What should you avoid assuming?
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Tonic and soda water make the same drink
Tonic’s bitter character changes a serve; soda water is a more neutral sparkling base. The distinction matters if you are replacing a mixer in a drink you already enjoy.
Choose soda when you want the other ingredients to set the flavour. Choose tonic when you specifically want a tonic-style serve, and check its ingredients.
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“Light” means no sugar or no sweeteners
The formulations differ. Fentimans lists 3.4 g sugars per 100 ml for Naturally Light Tonic Water, while the Schweppes Slimline Tonic ingredient listing includes aspartame.
Use the nutrition panel to compare sugars and energy per 100 ml, and the ingredients list to check for sweeteners.
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A large bottle is always the useful format
A large bottle provides volume for several drinks, but it may not suit a household that wants small, separately portioned serves or several flavours for occasional guests.
Check the unit size and pack quantity before buying. Match a larger bottle to a planned multi-drink occasion, or consider smaller units when portioning and variety matter more.
Which brands have relevant ranges?
These range references help distinguish mixer styles; a brand’s wider range does not describe every product or establish what is currently available from a particular retailer.
Fever-Tree
Its tonic range includes Indian, Mediterranean, elderflower, rhubarb and raspberry, lemon, cucumber and aromatic variants for shoppers comparing classic and flavoured tonics.
- Fever-Tree lists several tonic flavours and Refreshingly Light variants within its range.
- Flavour and formulation depend on the variant; check the individual label and pack size rather than applying one tonic’s details to another.
Schweppes
The UK range includes soda water and tonic options, including Slimline Tonic, for a choice between neutral sparkle and a tonic-style serve.
- Coca-Cola Great Britain lists 0 kcal and 0 g sugars per 100 ml for Schweppes Soda Water.
- The Schweppes Slimline Tonic ingredient listing includes quinine and aspartame; check the label if either matters to you.
Fentimans
Its mixer range spans tonic flavours, ginger ale, ginger beer, rose lemonade and soda water.
- Fentimans lists Naturally Light Tonic Water in 200 ml bottles and four-packs of 200 ml bottles.
- Naturally Light Tonic Water is not sugar-free: Fentimans lists 3.4 g sugars per 100 ml.
London Essence
Its crafted lemonade and fruit-led sodas offer flavoured sparkling drinks that can also be served without alcohol.
- Britvic announced a 150 ml six-can Crafted Lemonade pack and 250 ml four-can Crafted Soda packs in May 2025.
- That announcement does not establish which flavours or packs a retailer currently stocks; check the listing when choosing a format.
Tesco
Tesco’s own-label category listing includes tonic and soda water in larger bottles for shoppers planning several serves.
- The Tesco Groceries listing includes 1 L own-label tonic and soda products and 500 ml Tesco Finest tonic products.
- Check the exact product label and current listing for its formulation and pack size.
Joybuy mixers for home drinks
These options cover portioned tonic-water serves and one elderflower sparkling drink. Choose by the flavour you want first; the tonic and elderflower products are not interchangeable, and pack quantities should be checked on individual listings.
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Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water, 12 × 150 ml
Choose this tonic for individually portioned, tonic-style drinks rather than neutral soda-water serves.
The pack is listed as 12 × 150 ml. The Schweppes Slimline Tonic ingredient listing includes quinine and aspartame; check the label if either is a concern.
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Fever-Tree Naturally Light Tonic Water, 8 × 150 ml
This is a portioned tonic option when you want to compare a light-labelled drink with other tonic formulations.
The pack is listed as 8 × 150 ml. Do not assume “Naturally Light” means sugar-free; check its nutrition panel and ingredients, including quinine, before buying.
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Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Mediterranean Tonic Water, 8 × 150 ml
Consider this when you want a Mediterranean-style flavoured tonic rather than a neutral sparkling base.
The pack is listed as 8 × 150 ml. Compare its sugars and ingredients with other tonic variants instead of assuming all light-labelled tonics have the same formulation.
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Dalston's Fizzy Elderflower, 330 ml
Choose an elderflower-flavoured sparkling drink when you want a more distinct flavour or something to serve on its own.
The product is labelled 330 ml; confirm how many cans or bottles the listing supplies before ordering. Check the nutrition panel if sugars matter to your choice.
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Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water, 8 × 150 ml
This is a classic Indian tonic option for portioned drinks when you want tonic character rather than a fruit-led flavour.
The pack is listed as 8 × 150 ml. Compare its sugars with light-labelled alternatives and check the ingredients if you need to avoid quinine.
Sparkling mixer questions
Should I choose tonic water or soda water?
Choose soda water for a neutral sparkling base and tonic when you want bitter tonic character. Coca-Cola Great Britain lists 0 kcal and 0 g sugars per 100 ml for Schweppes Soda Water; that figure describes that product, not every soda or tonic.
Does light or slimline tonic always mean sugar-free?
No. Fentimans lists 3.4 g sugars per 100 ml for Naturally Light Tonic Water, while the Schweppes Slimline Tonic ingredient listing includes aspartame. Compare the nutrition and ingredients panels of the exact drinks you are considering.
Which mixer pack size works for one or two people?
Individual units can make sense for portioned drinks or a choice of flavours; a larger bottle suits an occasion when you expect to make several drinks. Check both the unit size and the quantity supplied, since a 150–250 ml unit may be sold in a multipack.
What if I need to avoid quinine?
Check the ingredients of the exact mixer before buying rather than assuming all sparkling drinks have the same formulation. Tonic products may contain quinine; if you have a specific medical concern or known sensitivity, seek appropriate healthcare advice.