Students packing a mixer for later
A single 150ml tonic or soda can is easy to take from a multipack when you want a measured mixer after lectures, rather than a large drink with lunch.
Who might choose a mixer multipack?
Students comparing sugar content
If sugar content matters to your choice, compare the nutrition panels. Tesco lists 3.8g sugars per 100ml for Fever-Tree Light Indian Tonic, while Sainsbury's lists less than 0.1g sugars per 150ml serving for Schweppes Soda Water.
Students drinking the can with lunch
If you want more than a 150ml mixer-sized serving, look at a larger canned soft drink or mixer. Confirm the can size and packaging on the particular multipack before buying.
What should you check before buying?
Decide whether you will drink the can with lunch or save it for mixing, then compare the serving size, flavour and label.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Can size | Check the volume of each can, not just the number in the pack. Tesco lists 150ml tonic cans and 250ml soda cans; Britvic announced 330ml tonic cans in 2023, so check a current listing before choosing that format. | I want one small can for mixing later, or a larger can to drink with lunch. |
| Nutrition | Compare sugars and energy using the same basis, such as per 100ml. Tesco lists 3.8g sugars and 15kcal per 100ml for Fever-Tree Light Indian Tonic; Sainsbury's lists less than 0.1g sugars and 0kcal per 150ml serving for Schweppes Soda Water. | If I am choosing by sugar content, I need the figures for the exact drink rather than relying on words such as ‘light’. |
| Flavour and use | Check whether the product is tonic, plain soda water or a flavoured soft drink. Fever-Tree describes its Premium Indian Tonic as a drink designed for mixing with spirits; a soft drink may suit a different lunchtime preference. | Will I enjoy this on its own, or am I taking it home to mix with something else? |
| Pack format | Confirm both the number of drinks and the container type. Tesco lists a Fentimans Ginger Beer 4 x 275ml multipack, but the listing excerpt does not establish that it contains cans. | I want to carry one sealed can to campus, and cans are a firm requirement for this purchase. |
Common buying mistakes
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Expecting a 150ml mixer to be a large lunch drink
A 150ml can may be enough for a small accompaniment, but it is a mixer-sized serving. Fever-Tree's tonic guidance, for example, pairs 150ml of tonic with a spirit.
Choose the serving size for how you will actually use the drink. If you plan to drink it on its own at lunch, compare larger cans before buying a multipack.
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Reading ‘light’ as ‘sugar-free’
Tesco lists 3.8g sugars per 100ml for Fever-Tree Light Indian Tonic. The name does not replace the nutrition figures.
Compare the sugars shown on the exact product label. If you prefer plain soda water, check its label separately rather than treating every mixer as nutritionally alike.
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Assuming every multipack contains cans
A pack count and volume do not, by themselves, tell you whether the drinks come in cans or bottles. That distinction matters if you specifically want to put one can in your lunch bag.
Check the container description and pack image for the exact variant before checkout.
Brands and retailer formats to compare
These examples show how mixer styles and pack sizes differ; a brand reference does not establish that every variant is available in cans.
Fever-Tree
Tonic-water options include small 150ml cans; Tesco lists an 8 x 150ml Light Indian Tonic multipack.
- The Tesco listing gives 15kcal and 3.8g sugars per 100ml for that light tonic.
- A 150ml tonic is a small serving if the can is meant to be your main lunch drink.
Schweppes
Its Soda Water is listed by Sainsbury's in a 12 x 150ml pack.
- Sainsbury's lists 0kcal and less than 0.1g sugars per 150ml serving for this plain soda water.
- Choose a flavoured drink instead if plain soda water is not what you want with lunch.
Fentimans
Ginger Beer is a flavoured alternative to tonic or plain soda water; Tesco lists a 4 x 275ml multipack.
- Fentimans lists 4.4g sugars per 100ml for its Ginger Beer, making the nutrition figure available to compare.
- Check the particular multipack's packaging if you require cans.
Britvic
Britvic announced 330ml Indian Tonic Water cans in classic and zero-sugar variants in September 2023.
- The announced 330ml size offers a larger serving than a 150ml mixer can.
- The launch announcement does not establish which exact multipacks are available now; check a current product listing.
Tesco
Its mixer category lists branded 150ml tonic multipacks alongside Tesco 6 x 250ml soda and low-calorie tonic options.
- The listed sizes allow a comparison between smaller mixer servings and 250ml cans.
- Check the exact product label for its ingredients and nutrition figures.
Sainsbury's
Its Schweppes Soda Water listing specifies a 12 x 150ml multipack.
- The listing states the serving size and nutrition figures for that product.
- Those details should not be assumed to apply to other Schweppes mixer variants.
Joybuy options for lunch or later mixing
These options include small tonic cans for mixing later and one larger canned soft drink for lunch. A flavoured cola-style drink is not a substitute for tonic when tonic flavour is what you need.
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Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water 12 x 150ml
Consider this when you want a small tonic portion for mixing later rather than a substantial lunch drink. Check the current label for sweeteners and other ingredients relevant to you.
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Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Premium Indian Tonic Water 15 x 150ml
This is a small tonic serving to pack for later mixing. If sugar content affects your choice, read the label for this 15-can pack rather than assuming ‘light’ means sugar-free.
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Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Mediterranean Tonic Water 8 x 150ml
Choose this format if you want a small Mediterranean-style tonic for mixing. Its 150ml can remains a small lunchtime serving; check the label when comparing sugar content with other tonics.
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Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water 8 x 150ml
This regular Indian tonic format suits someone buying individual portions to mix later. Fever-Tree lists sugar and quinine among the ingredients of its Premium Indian Tonic; check the label on this pack for its current composition.
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Pepsi Max Tropical 24 x 330ml
The 330ml format is an option when you want a larger flavoured drink with lunch, not a tonic or plain soda-water mixer. Check the label for caffeine and sweeteners if those affect your choice.
Questions about mixer cans
Is a 150ml mixer can enough to drink with lunch?
It can work if you want a small drink, but 150ml is a mixer-sized serving rather than a large standalone drink. If you want more to drink with lunch, compare the volume of larger cans and confirm that the particular multipack contains cans.
Does light tonic contain no sugar?
Not necessarily: Tesco lists 3.8g sugars per 100ml for Fever-Tree Light Indian Tonic. Read the nutrition panel on the exact variant you plan to buy; ‘light’ alone does not tell you its sugar content.
Should I check the can label when a retailer shows nutrition figures?
Yes. Compare the retailer information while choosing, then use the label on the exact pack for its ingredients, nutrition and storage instructions. GOV.UK states that prepacked food must display mandatory food information on its label.
Will a deposit apply to mixer cans throughout the UK?
Do not assume one UK-wide rule. UK government guidance schedules a refundable deposit for certain single-use drink containers in England and Northern Ireland from 1 October 2027; check which containers qualify and the arrangements where you buy your drinks.