Choose the finished drink before choosing its mixer: provide a clearly identified alcohol-free serve for guests who do not want alcohol, and use measured spirit pours if alcoholic drinks are on the menu. A light or slimline tonic changes the mixer choice, not the alcohol supplied by a spirit; Drinkaware says a 25 ml measure of a typical 40% ABV spirit contains one UK alcohol unit.
The useful starting point is the drinks menu and how it will be served, rather than a mixer label on its own.
Offer a drink made from checked alcohol-free components as a distinct menu option. If alcoholic mixed drinks are also served, name and prepare them separately so guests can tell which they are receiving.
Write each alcoholic recipe around the spirit’s ABV and a measured pour. Drinkaware puts a 25 ml measure of typical 40% ABV spirit at one UK alcohol unit; changing the tonic does not change that spirit measure.
Choose pack sizes around the serving method. Individual cans make mixer portions straightforward to hand out; larger bottles call for a plan for dispensing and managing opened bottles. Keep the delivered packs available for ingredient checks.
Decide whether each menu drink must contain no alcohol or will contain a measured spirit. Then compare mixer flavour, nutrition and pack format for that recipe.
Choose when: Guests need a drink without alcohol, rather than a smaller alcoholic pour.
Check: Verify every component before describing the finished drink as alcohol-free, and keep its preparation distinct from alcoholic service.
Choose when: Alcoholic drinks are part of the event menu and the caterer wants a consistent amount per serve.
Trade-off: A single pour still contains alcohol and cannot replace the separate alcohol-free choice.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol in the finished drink | Check the ABV of every component. For an alcoholic recipe, specify the spirit’s ABV and pour size; Drinkaware says 25 ml of a typical 40% ABV spirit contains one UK alcohol unit. | I want guests to know whether their drink contains alcohol, with a separate option for those who do not drink it. |
| Mixer formulation | Compare the exact packs’ kcal and sugars on the same per-100 ml or per-serving basis. Read the ingredient list, including any sweeteners; a light or slimline name does not state the finished drink’s alcohol content. | A lighter tonic may suit one recipe, but I still need to decide separately whether that drink contains a spirit. |
| Serving format | Match individual cans or larger bottles to the number of servings and whether drinks are handed out or dispensed by staff. Tesco and Sainsbury’s list mixer options in both small cans and 1 litre bottles. | For quick service I may want individual portions; at a staffed bar, I can plan how opened bottles will be dispensed. |
| Ingredient information | Check delivered labels and keep packs or current supplier specifications at the service point. Sainsbury’s advises that product ingredients can change, so an earlier listing should not stand in for the pack. | I want the catering team to answer questions about the drinks actually being served, including their declared ingredients. |
Those terms can describe the mixer while a separately added spirit supplies the alcohol. Drinkaware says a 50 ml double of a typical 40% ABV spirit contains about two UK alcohol units.
Record the spirit’s ABV and measured volume in the recipe. Check the complete drink before using an alcohol-content description on the menu.
A smaller spirit pour still contains alcohol, so it does not meet a need for a drink without it.
Provide a separately named serve made from checked alcohol-free components, with a preparation process that helps staff avoid mix-ups.
Formulations can change. Sainsbury’s advises customers to read the product label rather than rely solely on its online information.
Check delivered packs and keep their labels available to the event team. Apply any dietary description only to the exact product being served.
These range examples can help narrow a catering order; the relevant checks still belong to the exact pack and finished recipe.
Tesco lists Fever-Tree light tonic in 150 ml multipack cans, a format to consider for individual mixer portions.
UK retailer listings include Slimline Tonic Water in 1 litre bottles and 12 × 150 ml packs.
Fentimans lists tonic variants, ginger ale and soda water for different mixer flavours.
Britvic has described an Indian Tonic Water multipack can format for retail.
Tesco lists own-label low-calorie tonic, ginger ale and soda water with lime, including 1 litre options.
Sainsbury’s lists own-label diet tonic in 1 litre bottles.
These tonic-water cans offer individual mixer portions for conference service, including named light and slimline variants and a standard Indian tonic. None of the product names alone establishes that a finished serve is low alcohol or alcohol-free.
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The 150 ml cans provide individual mixer portions for a planned serve. Check the delivered ingredients against attendee requirements, and check every component before describing a finished drink as alcohol-free or low alcohol.
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This Indian tonic comes in individual 150 ml cans for portioned service. Check the delivered nutrition label if the mixer formulation matters to the menu; the spirit measure, if added, remains a separate decision.
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The Mediterranean variant gives the menu a different named tonic option in individual 150 ml cans. Check its delivered nutrition and ingredient label, and assess alcohol content from the complete recipe.
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This eight-can pack supplies 150 ml mixer portions. Compare its current nutrition and ingredients with other tonics on the same basis; do not use ‘Naturally Light’ as an alcohol-content description.
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This standard Indian tonic offers individual 150 ml mixer portions. For an alcoholic serve, specify and measure the spirit separately; compare the delivered nutrition label if the mixer formulation matters.
No: ‘slimline’ describes the mixer, not the alcohol supplied by an added spirit. Drinkaware says a 25 ml measure of typical 40% ABV spirit contains one UK alcohol unit; check the spirit’s ABV and the actual pour when writing the recipe.
GOV.UK’s low-alcohol descriptor guidance, published in 2018, describes low-alcohol drinks as those at 1.2% ABV or below. Check the ABV of the finished drink or its complete recipe rather than inferring it from ‘light’, ‘diet’ or ‘slimline’ on a mixer.
Choose individual cans when the service plan calls for ready-portioned mixers; consider larger bottles when staff can dispense servings and manage opened bottles. Tesco and Sainsbury’s list examples of both formats, so confirm the pack size needed for the event before ordering.
Keep the delivered packs or current supplier specifications available at service. Sainsbury’s warns that ingredients may change, so check the label of the exact product being poured rather than relying only on an earlier listing.