Viewers who want fizz
If bubbles matter more than smoothie texture, start with sparkling juice drinks. Compare the juice content, sugars per 100ml and any sweeteners between individual products.
Who is each drink for?
Viewers who want a smoothie
Look for a drink made from crushed fruit and vegetables rather than assuming a fruit-flavoured fizzy drink is a smoothie. For fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies, the NHS advises a combined limit of 150ml a day.
Hosts serving different guests
Check each drink’s current ingredients and pack size against guests’ preferences and dietary requirements. If a non-alcoholic drink is essential, confirm that status on the product label.
What should you check before buying?
Still smoothie
Choose it when: You want the crushed-fruit-and-vegetable drink described by smoothie makers such as innocent drinks.
Bear in mind: It does not provide the fizz you may want alongside match-day food.
Sparkling juice drink
Choose it when: Fizz matters and you want to compare stated fruit-juice ingredients; Waitrose lists Cawston Press Sparkling Rhubarb with 45% pressed apple juice.
Bear in mind: A sparkling juice drink is not automatically a smoothie.
Fruit-flavoured fizzy drink
Choose it when: You chiefly want a fizzy fruit flavour rather than a drink made from crushed fruit and vegetables.
Bear in mind: A fruit name does not establish the amount of juice, so compare the ingredients of the drinks you are considering.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink type | Read the category name and ingredients. Look for crushed fruit and vegetables if you want a smoothie, or carbonation if you want fizz. | I want to know whether I am buying a still smoothie or a fizzy drink before choosing a flavour. |
| Fruit content | Check which fruit ingredients are listed and whether a juice percentage is given. Do not assume that the fruit pictured on the pack establishes its contents. | Fizz is important to me, but I also want to see what fruit juice is in the drink. |
| Sugars and sweeteners | Compare sugars per 100ml and read the ingredients for sweeteners. A no-added-sugar claim does not mean that fruit sugars are absent. | I would rather compare the figures and ingredients than decide from a front-of-pack claim alone. |
| Serving size | Check the volume you plan to serve. NHS guidance limits fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day; do not apply that description to every fruit-flavoured fizzy drink. | If I serve juice or smoothies during the match, the portion matters as well as the pack size. |
| Guest requirements | Read the current pack for ingredients and dietary information. Confirm alcohol status where a non-alcoholic option is required, and check availability before buying for a gathering. | I need drinks that suit the people coming over, not just a flavour that sounds appealing. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming a sparkling fruit drink is a smoothie
Innocent describes its smoothies as crushed fruit and vegetables, while the Cawston Press drink listed by Waitrose combines sparkling water with pressed juices. Those are different drink types.
Choose the drink type first, then compare flavours within it.
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Reading “no added sugar” as “no sugar”
Fruit-derived sugars can still be present in a drink without added sugar.
Check sugars per 100ml and the ingredients, including any sweeteners, on the product you buy.
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Treating a large smoothie pack as one unrestricted serving
The NHS advises limiting fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day. A larger pack does not change that guidance.
Check the pack volume when planning portions and offer other drinks alongside it.
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Choosing for guests from a product name alone
A fruit flavour does not establish a drink’s full ingredients or whether it meets a guest’s dietary requirements.
Read the current pack before serving, and confirm availability before relying on a particular drink for the match.
Brands and retailer ranges to compare
These references help distinguish drink types; they do not describe which brands are stocked in the Joybuy selection below.
Innocent
Innocent describes its smoothies as fruit and vegetables crushed into a bottle, making its smoothie range a reference point for the still-drink route.
- Innocent says its smoothies contain no added sugar.
- Check the individual product rather than treating a smoothie and a sparkling fruit drink as the same category.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists sparkling juice drinks, including Cawston Press Sparkling Rhubarb, as a route for comparing fizzy fruit drinks.
- Its Cawston Press listing identifies sparkling water and 45% pressed apple juice in that product.
- That juice percentage belongs to the named drink, not every product in the category.
M&S
Marks & Spencer lists smoothies, juices and sparkling water separately in its soft-drinks range.
- The separate drink descriptions help shoppers start with the type they intend to serve.
- Check an individual product’s ingredients rather than relying on a broad drinks category.
Sainsbury's
A Sainsbury's listing describes a Shloer sparkling grape drink as a carbonated juice drink with sweetener.
- The named listing identifies red grape juice from concentrate and sucralose.
- Those ingredients describe the listed Shloer drink, not Sainsbury's fruit drinks generally.
Sparkling drinks on Joybuy
These grape, peach, apple, orange and pineapple-coconut drinks cover fizzy options for watching the football, rather than the still-smoothie route. Check the current pack if you need a non-alcoholic drink or have ingredient requirements.
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De Vina Sparkling White Grape 750ml
A sparkling grape option to consider when fizz matters more than buying a smoothie.
The named size is 750ml. Check the current pack for juice content, sugars per 100ml and sulphites before serving.
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De Vina Sparkling Peach 750ml
Consider this sparkling peach drink if guests prefer that flavour to grape.
The named size is 750ml. Check the pack for juice content, sulphites and alcohol status if those details affect your choice.
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Tango Apple Sugar-Free Can 24 x 330ml
The 24 x 330ml can format may suit a gathering where guests want individual fizzy apple drinks.
Compare the current nutrition and ingredient labels, including sweeteners, rather than relying on the Sugar-Free name alone.
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Bei Bing Yang Orange Juice Soda 330ml
This 330ml orange soda is an individual fizzy-drink option, not a still smoothie.
Read the current ingredients and sugars per 100ml if you are comparing it with sparkling juice drinks.
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De Vina Sparkling Pineapple Coconut 750ml
This 750ml sparkling pineapple-and-coconut drink offers another flavour to consider for the gathering.
Check the current pack for coconut and other dietary information. When comparing nutrition figures, check whether they are given per 100g or per 100ml.
Questions about smoothies and sparkling drinks
Is a sparkling fruit drink the same as a smoothie?
No. Innocent describes its smoothies as crushed fruit and vegetables, whereas Waitrose lists Cawston Press Sparkling Rhubarb as a drink made with sparkling water and pressed juices. Read the category and ingredients if the distinction matters to you.
Does “no added sugar” mean a fruit drink contains no sugar?
No. Fruit sugars may still be present. Compare the sugars per 100ml on the current nutrition label and check the ingredients for sweeteners.
How much juice or smoothie counts towards 5 A Day?
The NHS says fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies count only once a day towards 5 A Day and advises limiting them to a combined 150ml daily. Check the volume you pour rather than assuming a larger pack counts as several portions.
What should I check before serving drinks to football guests?
Check each current pack for ingredients and dietary information, and confirm alcohol status if you need a non-alcoholic option. Check availability before planning around a particular drink.