Conference caterers serving mixed drinks
Individual cans give bar and hospitality teams countable portions. Match the number of cans to the planned drinks, and keep standard tonic available if it appears on the menu.
Who is planning the drinks?
Event planners offering a choice of mixers
A named Slimline or light tonic makes that choice clear on the drinks list. Lemonade or crafted soda can provide a separate non-tonic option where there is a planned serve for it.
Venue teams handling drink information and used cans
Keep the actual product labels or supplier information accessible during service. For venues in England, arrange for used metal cans to be separated with other dry recyclables before collection.
What should you check before ordering?
Start with the drinks menu and its planned portions, then check whether each additional mixer has a clear use and how the venue will handle labels and used cans.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and replenishment | Check the mixer quantity in each planned drink and the can count per pack. Sainsbury's Fever-Tree listing gives an example using 150ml of mixer per drink. | I need enough individual portions for the planned drinks, without treating every attendee as a tonic drinker. |
| Tonic choice | Check whether the menu needs standard tonic, a named Slimline or light alternative, or both. Tesco Groceries lists Schweppes standard and Slimline tonic in separate 12 x 150ml packs. | Guests should be able to identify the tonic style offered, rather than being given one option for every mixed drink. |
| Flavours and can sizes | Match each flavour to a planned serve and check its can size. Britvic Limited announced London Essence Crafted Lemonade in 6 x 150ml cans and crafted sodas in 4 x 250ml cans in May 2025. | I want a non-tonic choice where the menu calls for one, but not several flavours with no clear use. |
| Drink information | Keep labels or supplier specifications accessible. The Food Standards Agency says catering food businesses must provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink. | Staff need to answer ingredient and allergen questions using information for the actual product being served. |
| Used-can collection | Agree bin placement and collection with the venue. In England, Defra's workplace-recycling guidance requires metal and other dry recyclables to be separated before collection, including waste from visitors. | Used cans need a collection route that works at drinks stations and during the event clear-up. |
Common ordering mistakes
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Ordering one tonic style for every planned drink
Standard tonic and a named Slimline or light tonic fulfil different menu requirements. A single-style order can leave a planned choice unavailable.
List the drinks to be served, then allocate separate quantities to standard and Slimline or light tonic where both appear on that list.
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Treating multipacks as equal-sized supplies
A 12 x 150ml pack and an 8 x 150ml pack provide different numbers of individual portions, even though both use 150ml sizes.
Count the cans and total volume in each pack before setting replenishment quantities.
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Counting a 330ml can as an unopened individual serve
Britvic Limited described its 330ml Indian Tonic Water can as providing two serves in its 2023 launch announcement. That format requires the can to be divided after opening.
Choose a 150ml can format when the service plan calls for an unopened can with each drink.
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Leaving labels and can collection until service starts
Staff need product-specific information for allergen enquiries. At workplaces in England, used metal cans also need to be separated from food and residual waste before collection.
Keep labels or supplier information available and agree the used-can bins and collection arrangements with the venue beforehand.
Brand and range references
These range references help distinguish mixer formats; they do not establish which products a particular venue can obtain for its event.
Schweppes
Tesco Groceries lists standard Tonic Water and Slimline Tonic Water in separate 12 x 150ml packs.
- The matching pack counts make it straightforward to plan separate standard and Slimline quantities.
- The two styles do not, by themselves, cover a menu that also specifies flavoured mixers.
Fever-Tree
Its listed tonic formats include light varieties in 150ml sizes; Sainsbury's lists a Refreshingly Light Indian Tonic Water 15 x 150ml pack, while Tesco Groceries lists 8 x 150ml light-tonic varieties.
- The named varieties allow a menu to specify a light or flavoured tonic rather than an unspecified alternative.
- Check the exact variety and pack count: listings for different light-tonic packs are not interchangeable.
London Essence
Britvic Limited announced Crafted Lemonade in 6 x 150ml cans and crafted sodas in 4 x 250ml cans in May 2025.
- Lemonade and crafted sodas give a drinks menu options distinct from tonic.
- The flavours and can sizes differ, so plan their portions separately and confirm the chosen format when ordering.
Britvic Mixers
Britvic Limited announced classic and zero-sugar Indian Tonic Water in 330ml six-packs in 2023, describing each can as two serves.
- The larger can format may suit a staffed service that plans to divide and serve a can after opening.
- It does not provide an unopened individual 150ml can for each drink; confirm the format for the event order.
Fentimans
Fentimans describes its Premium Indian Tonic Water as made with herbal infusions, Sicilian lemon oil and lemongrass extract.
- Its stated ingredients give planners a specific flavour profile to consider against the drinks menu.
- Confirm that the required multipack-can format and quantity are available before including it in a canned-service plan.
Joybuy tonic options
These tonic options cover standard, Slimline and light styles for a conference drinks menu. Check each listing's container format and pack quantity against the planned service.
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Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water 12 x 150ml
For a menu with a named Slimline option, this 12 x 150ml pack provides countable portions. Plan its quantity separately from any standard tonic order, and check the can label when answering ingredient questions.
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Fever-Tree Naturally Light Tonic Water 8 x 150ml
This 8 x 150ml pack is a named light-tonic option for a drinks menu. Confirm the container format for individual-can service and use the product label for its ingredients and nutrition information.
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Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Mediterranean Tonic Water
Consider this Mediterranean-style tonic when that flavour is specified on the drinks menu, rather than treating it as a substitute for every standard tonic serve. Confirm the container format and pack quantity before assigning individual portions.
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Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water 8 x 150ml
This 8 x 150ml Indian tonic pack is an option when the menu calls for a standard tonic style. Check the container format for individual-can service and keep its label available for ingredient enquiries.
Conference mixer questions
How many mixer cans should a conference order include?
Start with the planned number of mixed drinks and the mixer quantity in each recipe, then allocate cans by the menu rather than assuming every attendee will choose tonic. Sainsbury's Fever-Tree listing gives an example using 150ml of mixer per drink; Britvic Limited described its 330ml tonic can as two serves. Allow for how drinks will be served and replenished.
Should the order include both standard and Slimline tonic?
Include both when the drinks menu calls for that choice. Tesco Groceries lists Schweppes standard and Slimline tonic in separate 12 x 150ml packs, so their quantities can be planned independently. A Slimline listing should not be treated as a replacement for every planned standard-tonic drink.
What allergen information should be available during service?
Keep information for the actual mixers being served accessible to staff and guests. The Food Standards Agency says catering food businesses must provide allergen information and follow labelling rules for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink; use the cans, labels or supplier specifications rather than relying on a general brand description.
How should an English conference venue handle used mixer cans?
Arrange for used metal cans to be separated with other dry recyclables before collection. Defra's workplace-recycling guidance for England includes waste produced by customers and visitors, so agree bin placement and collection responsibilities with the venue. Check the relevant national guidance for events elsewhere in the UK.