Who is choosing the drinks?

Families serving alcohol-free drinks

A sharing bottle can serve several people at lunch. Decide whether it is likely to be finished, or whether separate cans would be easier to serve.

Hosts making separate drinks for adults

If adults want tonic for mixed drinks, plan their portions separately from the drinks offered to children and other guests.

Shoppers checking children’s drink labels

Compare sugars per 100ml and the size of the portion being served rather than judging a drink by its pack format or a word such as “light”.

What should you check?

Work out who will drink the product and how it will be served, then compare pack volume and the label of the exact variant.

Priority What to check Your needs
Enough to serve Check the volume of each bottle or can, the number in the pack and how many guests you expect. I want enough to pour drinks for everyone without choosing a pack by container count alone.
Serving format Compare a sharing bottle with individual cans. Consider whether an opened bottle will be finished at lunch. Separate portions would be easier for my guests; alternatively, we can share and finish a bottle.
Drink type Check whether the product is lemonade or quinine-containing tonic, and whether guests want tonic’s bitter flavour. For a family lunch, I need an alcohol-free drink everyone expects to drink. Tonic is a separate choice for adults who want mixed drinks.
Nutrition label Read sugars per 100ml, ingredients and serving size on the exact product; “light” does not establish that a drink is sugar-free. If children will have a portion, I want to know what that portion contains rather than relying on the name on the pack.

Common buying mistakes

  • Counting containers instead of checking volume

    A multipack can look substantial even when each can holds a small portion.

    Check the stated volume and can count against the number of drinks you intend to serve.

  • Choosing tonic as the default children’s drink

    Tonic contains quinine and has a bitter flavour; the tonic examples here are presented as mixers for adult drinks.

    Choose the children’s and non-drinkers’ drinks separately, and select tonic only for guests who want it.

  • Assuming “light” means sugar-free

    The Fever-Tree Naturally Light tonic listing gives 3.8g sugars per 100ml.

    Check the nutrition panel and ingredients for the exact variant and the portion you plan to serve.

Relevant brands and ranges

These brand references describe particular drinks and ranges, not every product a brand makes.

Schweppes

Lemonade appears in both large bottles and small-can packs, giving shoppers two ways to serve a shared lunch.

  • Tesco lists Schweppes Lemonade in a 2L bottle and a 12 × 150ml pack.
  • Choose between pouring from an opened bottle and serving cans individually according to the occasion.

Fever-Tree

Its Indian tonic products are presented as mixers for adult drinks.

  • The Premium Indian Tonic listing identifies quinine and an 8 × 150ml format.
  • The Naturally Light tonic listing still gives 3.8g sugars per 100ml; check the exact variant’s label.

Fentimans

Its Premium Indian Tonic Water is an option for guests who specifically want tonic’s bitter flavour.

  • Fentimans identifies quinine in the product and lists 4.4g sugars per 100ml.
  • Check the particular pack and serving size rather than assuming tonic has no sugar.

Tesco

Its listings provide examples of lemonade bottles and multipacks to compare for a lunch.

  • The listed Schweppes formats include 2L bottles and 150ml cans.
  • Check the current product listing for the pack and variant you intend to buy.

Britvic

Britvic describes a range spanning mixers, juices and cordials.

  • The range offers drink categories to consider for different guests.
  • Choose by the individual product’s drink type and pack information, not the brand name alone.

Lemonade and adult-tonic examples

These are two separate product groupings: drinks for a shared, alcohol-free lunch and tonics for adult mixed drinks. Their positions are not a combined quality ranking.

Rank Product Main specifications Reasons to consider Supplier or platform
1 Schweppes Lemonade 2L 2L bottle Shared-lunch group: Tesco lists this bottle format. Consider it when several guests want lemonade and the bottle is likely to be finished. Tesco
2 Schweppes Slimline Lemonade 2L 2L bottle; Slimline variant Shared-lunch group: Tesco lists this variant in the same bottle size. Check its ingredients and nutrition panel if the variant matters to your household. Tesco
3 Fever-Tree Light Sicilian Lemonade 500ml 500ml bottle; Light variant Shared-lunch group: consider the smaller bottle only if that serving format fits the number of guests. Check the exact variant’s label. Tesco
1 Fever-Tree Naturally Light Tonic Water 8 × 150ml Eight 150ml cans; 3.8g sugars per 100ml Adult-tonic group: individual tonic portions for guests who want mixed drinks. The Joybuy product listing gives the stated sugar content; “light” does not mean sugar-free. Joybuy
2 Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water 8 × 150ml Eight 150ml cans; 8.0g sugars per 100ml Adult-tonic group: individual regular-tonic portions. The Joybuy product listing gives the stated sugar content for this variant. Joybuy
3 Fentimans Premium Indian Tonic Water Indian tonic; 4.4g sugars per 100ml Adult-tonic group: consider it when guests want a bitter tonic. Fentimans supplies the stated nutrition figure; check the pack offered before choosing a serving format. Fentimans

Joybuy lunch-drink options

These canned soft-drink packs suit a lunch where guests will be served individual portions. Check the can size and count against your guest list; this selection is not a comparison of every drink format discussed above.

7UP Zero, eight 330ml cans

7UP Zero 8 × 330ml

Eight individual 330ml cans provide a portioned option for lunch. Compare the can count with the number of guests.

View on Joybuy
7UP Zero, two packs of eight 330ml cans

7UP Zero 2 × 8 × 330ml

Two eight-can packs offer individual 330ml portions when more guests need a can. Check that the total number of cans fits the lunch you are planning.

View on Joybuy
Schweppes Original Lemonade, twelve 150ml cans

Schweppes Original Lemonade 12 × 150ml

Twelve 150ml cans suit guests who want smaller individual lemonade portions. Check whether that portion size and pack count cover the lunch.

View on Joybuy

Questions about bottles, cans and tonic

Should I choose a 2L bottle or 150ml cans for a shared lunch?

Choose a 2L bottle if several people will pour drinks and you expect to finish it; 150ml cans suit separate, smaller portions. Check the pack’s total volume and how many guests need a drink.

Is tonic a suitable default for children’s lunch drinks?

Do not assume tonic will suit the lunch: the tonic examples here contain quinine and are presented as mixers for adult drinks. Plan a separate drink for children and guests who do not want tonic, and check its label.

Does “light” mean a tonic is sugar-free?

No. The Joybuy listing for Fever-Tree Naturally Light Tonic Water states 3.8g sugars per 100ml. Read the nutrition panel, ingredients and serving size for the exact product rather than relying on “light” in its name.