For a budget-led christening party, use larger tonic and soda bottles for drinks several guests are likely to share, then add individual cans where unopened portions make self-service easier. Keep distinctive tonics and ginger beer to the part of the drinks station where their flavours suit the drinks you plan to serve, and check pack volumes before deciding quantities.
Start with tonic and soda that can be shared across several drinks, rather than buying every flavour in individual portions. Tesco Groceries lists both mixers in 1 L bottles; add other flavours according to the drinks you intend to offer.
A selection of tonic and soda gives guests more than one way to make a long drink. If you also want a tonic chosen for a particular spirit, Fever-Tree positions its Indian tonic for gin, vodka and fortified wines; keep the pack available so guests can check its ingredients.
Individual cans let guests open a portion when they want it, while bottles work when several people will use the same mixer. Tesco Groceries lists 12 x 150 ml Schweppes cans and 15 x 150 ml Fever-Tree cans alongside larger-bottle options.
Decide which mixers guests are likely to share, then choose how many unopened portions and alternative flavours the drinks station needs.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Core volume | Compare total mixer volume, not just the number of bottles or cans. Check which tonic and soda formats will cover the drinks you plan to make. | Several guests will use the same plain mixer, so I can open shared bottles as they are needed. |
| Self-service | Check the can size and count: Tesco Groceries lists Schweppes tonic in a 12 x 150 ml pack and Fever-Tree Indian tonic in a 15 x 150 ml pack. Decide where unopened individual portions would help. | I want guests to serve themselves without opening several bottles of the same mixer at once. |
| Drink choice | Start with the tonic and soda needed for the planned drinks. Check the stated ingredients and flavour of any additional botanical tonic or ginger beer. | There should be a broadly usable option as well as a distinct flavour for guests who want one. |
| Ingredient visibility | Read the exact pack’s ingredient and allergen information, including any precautionary allergen statement. Keep packaging accessible at the drinks station. | Guests need to be able to check a drink themselves before choosing it. |
Fever-Tree positions its Indian tonic for particular spirit serves, while a shared drinks station also needs mixers for other drinks. A single distinctive flavour may not suit everything guests plan to make.
Choose the core tonic and soda first, then set aside a smaller number of specialist servings for the drinks that call for them.
Fentimans describes herbal infusions, Sicilian lemon oil, lemongrass and quinine in its Premium Indian Tonic. That is a different flavour choice from plain soda or a tonic selected simply for shared mixing.
Check the ingredients of flavour-led tonics against the spirits and alcohol-free drinks you plan to offer, and retain a more general-purpose option.
Own-label Indian tonic and soda water in 1 L bottles, as listed by Tesco Groceries.
Tesco Groceries lists Schweppes tonic in both a 1 L bottle and a 12 x 150 ml can pack.
Fever-Tree describes its Premium Indian Tonic Water as intended for gin, vodka and fortified-wine serves.
Fentimans describes its Premium Indian Tonic as a botanical tonic with Sicilian lemon oil, lemongrass and quinine.
These cans offer individual servings of tonic or ginger beer for a christening-party drinks station. Compare their pack volumes with the shared-bottle format you plan to use for the main mixers.
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Individual tonic portions for a self-service drinks station. The pack contains twelve 150 ml cans; check the exact pack’s ingredients for guests who need that information.
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An eight-can tonic option for individually served drinks. Fever-Tree positions its Indian tonic for gin, vodka and fortified wines; check whether that flavour choice fits the drinks you plan to offer.
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Twelve individual 150 ml cans provide a slimline tonic option alongside regular tonic. The product description identifies aspartame and a source of phenylalanine; check the exact pack label where this matters to a guest.
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A 24-can tonic pack for individual servings. Its description mentions pink grapefruit, juniper berry and quinine; check the pack’s nutrition information before relying on the stated figures.
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Ginger beer adds a distinct drink choice in individual 330 ml cans. The product description identifies barley malt; keep the pack available so guests can check its ingredient and allergen information.
Choose large bottles for tonic or soda that several guests are likely to use, and cans where unopened individual portions would make self-service easier. Check total pack volume as well as portion size before deciding how many of each format to buy.
Build the main drinks station around the tonic and soda needed for your planned drinks, then add a smaller amount of slimline tonic, ginger beer or a botanical tonic if those choices suit your guests. Check the flavour and pack size of each addition rather than assuming all tonics can stand in for one another.
Yes. Keep the exact packaging accessible so guests can inspect ingredients and any allergen information before choosing a drink. The Food Standards Agency explains that precautionary allergen labelling communicates possible unintended presence of a regulated allergen; it does not replace checking the particular pack.