Hosts serving mixed drinks
Individual cans make it straightforward to set out mixer alongside spirits or alcohol-free drinks without opening a shared bottle. Compare the number of cans with the volume needed for each planned serve.
Who are these packs for?
Can size matters most when you are planning how many separate drinks to serve alongside the food.
Shoppers comparing tonic recipes
If sugar content or sweeteners matter to your group, compare the nutrition and ingredient panels of the exact tonics you are considering. A slimline recipe is not ingredient-equivalent to a classic tonic.
Planners choosing a distinct mixer flavour
Botanical, citrus or spiced tonics contribute their own flavour to a drink. Check whether that profile suits what you plan to serve with the festival food.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the intended serve size and total volume, then compare the recipe and the practical arrangements for serving outdoors.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and volume | Multiply can count by can volume. Joybuy lists 8 × 150ml Fever-Tree and 12 × 150ml Schweppes tonics; Tesco Groceries lists a 6 × 250ml own-label option. These contain 1.2L, 1.8L and 1.5L respectively. | I would prefer a separate 150ml can for each drink, or a larger can if the planned pours call for it. |
| Recipe and label | Compare sugar and energy on the same per-100ml basis, then read the ingredients. Joybuy lists Schweppes Slimline at 0g sugars and 2kcal per 100ml, with aspartame and a phenylalanine statement. | For guests with ingredient requirements, I need to check the exact can rather than choose by the word “slimline” alone. |
| Flavour | Decide whether you want classic tonic, a botanical tonic or a ginger mixer. Fever-Tree describes cardamom and ginger in its Light Aromatic Tonic; Fentimans lists lemon oil and lemongrass in its Indian tonic. | A noticeable mixer flavour could work with the drinks I am planning, but I would check it against the food before buying several packs. |
| Outdoor use | Check the physical can label for ingredients. Find the event’s designated recycling stream; Recycle Now says some out-of-home points accept drink cans and advises emptying and rinsing them. | Before packing, I want to know where guests can put their empty cans and have the labels available to read. |
What can catch you out?
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Counting cans without checking their size
An 8 × 150ml pack contains 1.2L, while a 6 × 250ml pack contains 1.5L. Fewer cans can therefore provide more mixer, but a larger can may not suit a one-can-per-drink plan.
Calculate the total volume and choose a can size that fits your intended pours.
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Assuming slimline and classic tonic have the same ingredients
Joybuy’s Schweppes Slimline listing states 0g sugars per 100ml but also lists aspartame and a source of phenylalanine.
Read the exact pack’s ingredient information before serving it to guests with relevant requirements; consider offering a different recipe as well.
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Assuming every festival bin accepts cans
Recycle Now notes that only some out-of-home recycling points accept drink cans, so a general waste bin need not be the right place for them.
Follow the event’s labelled waste streams, and take empty cans away if there is no suitable collection point.
Which brands and ranges are relevant?
A brand’s wider mixer range does not mean every flavour comes in the same multipack format; check the specific product before choosing.
Fever-Tree
Joybuy lists Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water in an 8 × 150ml format. Fever-Tree also describes botanical flavours in its wider tonic range.
- An 8-can Indian tonic pack provides individual 150ml portions.
- Light Aromatic Tonic has a spiced botanical profile, according to Fever-Tree; check the flavour rather than assuming it tastes like classic tonic.
Schweppes
Joybuy lists both Indian Tonic Water and Slimline Tonic Water in 12 × 150ml formats.
- The two named packs allow a comparison of classic and slimline recipes in the same can size.
- The listed Slimline recipe contains aspartame and carries a phenylalanine statement; check the exact pack for guests with relevant requirements.
Fentimans
Fentimans describes several botanical tonic styles, including an Indian tonic made with lemon oil and lemongrass extract.
- Its stated flavour profiles help distinguish a citrus-herbal tonic from a more restrained style.
- Check the pack format of the particular flavour you want before planning around individual cans.
Britvic
Britvic Mixers lists Indian tonic, low-calorie Indian tonic and ginger ale in its range.
- The official range provides different mixer recipes to compare by flavour and ingredients.
- Confirm the current can size and pack format of the particular Britvic mixer before buying for an event.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists own-label Low Calorie Indian Tonic Water and Soda Water in 6 × 250ml packs.
- A 250ml can offers a larger stated portion than the 150ml tonic packs discussed here.
- Soda water and low-calorie tonic are different recipes; check which one suits the drinks you plan to make.
How do the can formats compare?
These numbered examples move from classic 150ml tonics to a slimline recipe and then a larger 250ml can, distinguishing serving size and ingredients rather than rating overall quality.
| Rank | Product | Main specifications | Why consider it | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schweppes Indian Tonic Water 12 × 150ml | 12 × 150ml; 1.8L total. | Joybuy lists this classic tonic format for shoppers planning separate 150ml portions. Its position reflects that serving scenario, not a taste ranking. | Joybuy |
| 2 | Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water 8 × 150ml | 8 × 150ml; 1.2L total. Joybuy lists 8.0g sugars per 100ml. | Another classic tonic in individual 150ml portions, with fewer cans and less total liquid than the Schweppes pack above. | Joybuy |
| 3 | Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water 12 × 150ml | 12 × 150ml; 0g sugars and 2kcal per 100ml on Joybuy’s listing. Contains aspartame and a source of phenylalanine. | Consider the slimline recipe when its stated ingredients suit the people being served; it is not interchangeable with classic tonic for every guest. | Joybuy |
| 4 | Tesco Low Calorie Indian Tonic Water 6 × 250ml | 6 × 250ml; 1.5L total, according to Tesco Groceries. | The larger can fits a different pouring plan from the 150ml options. Check its own ingredient and nutrition panel rather than assuming it matches another low-calorie tonic. | Tesco Groceries |
Joybuy mixer-can options
These Joybuy options include 150ml tonic and ginger-ale packs, plus a larger 330ml ginger-beer pack for a different pouring plan.
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Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water 12 × 150ml
The 150ml format suits separate mixer portions. Joybuy lists 0g sugars and 2kcal per 100ml, alongside aspartame and a phenylalanine statement; check the exact can label for guests with relevant requirements.
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Fever-Tree Naturally Light Tonic Water 8 × 150ml
Eight 150ml cans provide individual tonic portions, totalling 1.2L. Check the exact can’s ingredients and nutrition panel when comparing this recipe with classic or slimline tonic.
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Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water 8 × 150ml
This classic tonic pack provides eight separate 150ml portions, or 1.2L in total. Joybuy lists 8.0g sugars and 36kcal per 100ml; use the can label when comparing recipes.
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Canada Dry Ginger Ale Mini 12 × 150ml
A ginger-ale alternative when you want a different mixer flavour in small, separate cans. The 12 × 150ml pack contains 1.8L; check the exact can label before relying on an energy figure.
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Old Jamaica Ginger Beer 24 × 330ml cans
This ginger-beer pack offers a larger 330ml can than the 150ml mixer options. Consider whether that size fits your planned drinks, and read the exact can label for guests with ingredient or allergy requirements.
Frequently asked questions
How much mixer is in a multipack?
Multiply the number of cans by the volume of each can: 8 × 150ml is 1.2L, 12 × 150ml is 1.8L, and 6 × 250ml is 1.5L. Compare the total with your planned number and size of drinks, not just the can count.
Is slimline tonic interchangeable with classic tonic?
Not for every guest. Joybuy’s Schweppes Slimline 12 × 150ml listing states 0g sugars and 2kcal per 100ml, but also lists aspartame and a source of phenylalanine. Check the exact can label before serving someone with a relevant requirement.
What allergen information should I check on mixer cans?
Read the ingredients list on the exact pack. GOV.UK guidance says that, for prepacked drinks including fizzy-drink cans, any of the 14 regulated allergens used as ingredients must be clearly labelled there.
Can empty mixer cans be recycled at a festival?
Use the festival’s designated recycling stream if it accepts cans. Recycle Now advises emptying and rinsing drink cans and notes that some, rather than all, out-of-home recycling points accept them.
How should I store the cans before serving?
Follow the instructions on the pack you buy. Joybuy’s Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water listing says to store its unopened cans in a cool, dry place; check other mixers’ labels for their own storage and after-opening instructions.