Hosts planning self-service drinks
Ready-to-drink sparkling cans or bottles avoid measuring during the BBQ. Plan where you will chill them, particularly if serving a multipack.
Who is each format for?
Hosts mixing drinks by the glass
Squash or cordial can offer a choice of still or sparkling drinks when its instructions permit both. Provide the water and follow the product’s dilution ratio rather than assuming every concentrate mixes the same way.
Hosts checking sugar and ingredients
Compare the sugar value per 100ml for each drink as served. Vimto lists 0.5g sugars per 100ml for Fizzy Zero and 4.3g for Original Fizzy; Sainsbury’s lists 4.4g per 100ml for Rocks Blackcurrant Squash after dilution. Check the exact pack for sweeteners and declared allergens.
What should you check before buying?
Ready-to-drink sparkling drinks
Choose when: Guests need a chilled drink they can pick up or pour without a mixing station.
Trade-off: You cannot adjust the drink’s dilution by the glass.
Squash or cordial with sparkling water
Choose when: You can supply sparkling water and want to prepare individual drinks from a concentrate labelled for that use.
Trade-off: Each sparkling serve needs water, a glass and mixing to the stated ratio.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Serving format | Check whether the drink is already carbonated or is a concentrate. For a concentrate, confirm that its instructions allow sparkling water and note the dilution ratio. | I would rather let guests take a drink straight from the cooler; alternatively, I can set out water and glasses for mixing. |
| Sugar as served | Compare sugars per 100ml on a ready-to-drink or correctly diluted basis. Vimto lists 0.5g for Fizzy Zero and 4.3g for Original Fizzy; Belvoir Farm lists 3.9g for Raspberry & Lemon Cordial when diluted 1:10. | If sugar content matters to my guests, I want to compare the drink they will actually be served, not an undiluted concentrate with a finished fizzy drink. |
| Ingredients | Read the exact flavour’s ingredients, sweeteners, allergen declaration and any relevant dietary statement. ASDA’s listing for Vimto Original Squash declares barley; that does not describe every Vimto drink. | Some guests may need me to check a particular ingredient, so a familiar brand name alone is not enough. |
| Storage and leftovers | Check pack size and post-opening instructions. Sainsbury’s lists refrigeration and use within 3 weeks for opened Rocks Blackcurrant Squash; Belvoir Farm gives the same period for its Raspberry & Lemon Cordial. | For a one-off BBQ, I want a quantity I can serve or store according to the chosen pack’s instructions. |
What can catch BBQ hosts out?
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Assuming every fruit drink is ready to pour
A squash or cordial needs dilution, while a ready-to-drink sparkling product is already mixed and carbonated.
Decide on the serving format before shopping. If you choose a concentrate for sparkling drinks, provide sparkling water and follow its instructions.
Mixing by the glass also calls for water, glasses and serving time.
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Comparing sugar figures on different bases
A cordial’s figure may describe the diluted drink, while a ready-made fizzy drink is sold as served. Changing the instructed amount of concentrate changes what goes into the glass.
Read the basis of each per-100ml figure and use the stated dilution ratio. Sainsbury’s gives 1 part Rocks Blackcurrant Squash to 8 parts water; Belvoir Farm gives 1:10 for its Raspberry & Lemon Cordial.
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Equating no added sugar with no sweeteners
Vimto’s ingredient lists name sucralose and acesulfame K for Fizzy Zero and No Added Sugar Squash. ASDA’s listing for the separate Vimto Original Squash declares barley.
Check the current label of each flavour for sweeteners and allergens before serving guests with specific requirements.
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Opening more than you can store
Post-opening instructions differ by product: Sainsbury’s and Belvoir Farm specify refrigeration and use within 3 weeks for the cited Rocks squash and Belvoir cordial.
Choose pack sizes with the gathering and likely leftovers in mind, then follow each pack’s storage instructions.
An opened bottle left outside its stated storage conditions may have to be discarded.
Relevant brand ranges
These examples show how serving formats and label details can differ; a brand name alone does not establish the ingredients or instructions of every product in its range.
Vimto
Vimto provides examples of both ready-to-drink fizzy products and dilutable squash.
- Vimto lists 4.3g sugars per 100ml for Original Fizzy and 0.5g for Fizzy Zero.
- The cited fizzy and no-added-sugar squash ingredient lists include sweeteners. Check the exact product’s ingredients and allergens.
Robinsons
Tesco and Waitrose list Robinsons squash in several flavours and formats for shoppers considering a concentrate.
- The retailer ranges include double-strength and no-added-sugar options.
- Check the chosen flavour’s instructions before making it with sparkling water; range listings do not give every variant the same ingredients or dilution directions.
Rocks
Sainsbury’s lists Rocks Blackcurrant Squash as a concentrate that can be mixed with still or sparkling water.
- Its listing specifies 1 part squash to 8 parts water and 4.4g sugars per 100ml diluted.
- The listing instructs refrigeration after opening and use within 3 weeks.
Belvoir Farm
Belvoir Farm offers both cordial for mixing and ready-made sparkling drinks.
- Its Raspberry & Lemon Cordial instructions permit sparkling water at a 1:10 dilution; its ingredient information states no sweeteners.
- Belvoir Farm lists 3.9g sugars per 100ml for that diluted cordial. Check a ready-made Belvoir drink separately rather than assuming it has the same nutrition or storage instructions.
M&S Food
Marks & Spencer describes its Fragrant British Elderflower Cordial as suitable for dilution with still or sparkling water.
- The stated mixing options allow a still or sparkling elderflower serve.
- Check the selected product and local Foodhall listing when planning a specific purchase.
Joybuy drinks for serving without mixing
These Joybuy options are ready-to-drink fruit-flavoured or fruit-juice drinks for a BBQ. They are alternatives to mixing squash or cordial with sparkling water, not examples of that concentrate route.
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7 Up Lemonade Zero 24 x 330ml
A 24 x 330ml ready-to-drink option for serving without a squash-mixing station. Check the pack’s ingredients and warnings for guests with specific dietary requirements.
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Tango Apple Sugar-Free 24 x 330ml cans
An apple-flavoured, ready-to-drink multipack for guests who want individual servings. Check the current label for its ingredients and sugar information.
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Sprite 8 x 330ml
An eight-pack of 330ml ready-to-drink servings if you prefer not to mix drinks at the BBQ. Check the pack label when comparing ingredients and sugar.
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Appletiser 100% Apple Juice Lightly Sparkling 6 x 250ml
A lightly sparkling apple-juice option in six 250ml servings, without a dilution step. Compare its nutrition label with other drinks on a per-100ml basis.
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De Vina 750m Sparkling Mango
A sparkling mango drink for pouring rather than mixing from concentrate. Check the bottle label for its volume, ingredients and instructions after opening.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make sparkling squash with sparkling water?
Yes, when the chosen product’s instructions allow it. Sainsbury’s says Rocks Blackcurrant Squash can be mixed at 1 part squash to 8 parts still or sparkling water; Belvoir Farm specifies a 1:10 dilution with water or sparkling water for its Raspberry & Lemon Cordial.
Is a ready-made fizzy drink the same as cordial mixed with sparkling water?
No. A ready-made fizzy drink is sold carbonated, while cordial needs dilution. Compare nutrition for the finished drink: Vimto lists 4.3g sugars per 100ml for Original Fizzy, and Belvoir Farm lists 3.9g per 100ml for Raspberry & Lemon Cordial when diluted 1:10.
How should I compare sugar in fizzy drinks and squash?
Use the per-100ml figure for each drink as served, following the squash’s stated dilution instructions. Vimto lists 0.5g sugars per 100ml for Fizzy Zero and 4.3g for Original Fizzy; a no-added-sugar label does not remove the need to check ingredients such as sweeteners.
What should I check before serving drinks to a group?
Read each exact pack’s ingredients, allergen declaration and dietary statements. ASDA’s listing declares barley for Vimto Original Squash; that declaration should not be assumed to apply to every fruit drink or every Vimto product.
How should I plan for opened bottles after the BBQ?
Follow the chosen bottle’s post-opening instructions. Sainsbury’s says to refrigerate opened Rocks Blackcurrant Squash and use it within 3 weeks; Belvoir Farm gives the same instructions for its Raspberry & Lemon Cordial. Other drinks may have different directions.