Choose a no-added-sugar squash or cordial with plain sparkling water if you want to adjust the flavour when making drinks at home. Ready-to-drink no-added-sugar sparkling flavoured water avoids mixing when you are out; a standard cordial offers a different flavour choice, but compare its sugars in the drink as prepared.
The useful distinction for a weekly shop is whether the drink will mainly be mixed at home, carried ready to drink, or made for an occasional meal.
A no-added-sugar concentrate and plain sparkling water let you prepare a glass at your preferred strength. Check the dilution directions and ingredients on the particular bottle rather than applying one squash recipe to every product.
Ready-to-drink sparkling flavoured water needs no measuring or separate sparkling water. Tesco lists a no-added-sugar flavoured sparkling-water multipack, though the flavour strength is set by the finished drink.
A floral or fruit cordial may suit a particular meal or occasion. Check the prepared-drink nutrition: Belvoir Farm lists 4.2g sugars per 100ml for its standard Elderflower Cordial diluted 1:10, compared with 1.1g per 100ml for its No Added Sugar Cherries & Berries Cordial diluted 1:6.
Decide where you will drink it first, then compare the label information for the drink you would actually prepare.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink format | Check whether you are buying concentrate, plain sparkling water or a finished flavoured drink. For concentrate, read its dilution directions. | I want to adjust the flavour at home, or I need a bottle I can drink without mixing. |
| Sugars and ingredients | Compare sugars per 100ml of drink prepared as directed where that figure is given. Check whether the recipe contains sugar or sweeteners; do not compare undiluted concentrate directly with a finished drink. | For a drink bought for regular household use, I want to know what is in the glass, not just what is printed on the concentrate bottle. |
| Flavour | Check the flavour and the stated mixing ratio. Belvoir Farm gives different dilution ratios for its No Added Sugar Cherries & Berries Cordial and standard Elderflower Cordial: 1:6 and 1:10 respectively. | I might prefer an adjustable fruit squash for everyday mixing, but choose an elderflower cordial when that specific taste is the point of the drink. |
| After opening | Read the storage and use-by-opening instructions on each bottle, including the sparkling water. Waitrose says its Essential Sparkling Natural Mineral Water should be refrigerated after opening and consumed within three days. | If I am stocking up for the week, I need bottle sizes and opening instructions that work with how quickly the household uses them. |
| Drinking pattern | Consider how often fizzy or fruit-acid drinks will be sipped. A Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust dental article warns that sugar-free fizzy drinks can still be acidic and contribute to tooth erosion. | I want a sparkling drink for particular occasions without treating its no-added-sugar label as a reason to sip it throughout the day. |
Ingredients and flavour do not establish the sugars in a prepared drink. Belvoir Farm lists 4.2g sugars per 100ml for its standard Elderflower Cordial when diluted 1:10.
For a regular purchase, compare the diluted nutrition information and ingredients of the exact cordials you are considering.
A concentrate is diluted before drinking, and products specify different mixing ratios. Figures for undiluted squash and ready-to-drink water are not a like-for-like prepared-drink comparison.
Follow each label's dilution instructions and compare sugars per 100ml of prepared drink where available.
A Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust dental article notes that sugar-free fizzy drinks can still be acidic and contribute to tooth erosion.
Think about when the sparkling drink will be served, and keep plain water available between drinks.
These examples show why the exact product and its preparation instructions matter more than a brand name alone.
Robinsons makes squash concentrates, including no-added-sugar varieties, for mixing with water.
Belvoir Farm offers both standard and no-added-sugar cordials, so compare the specific recipes rather than the category name.
M&S Food describes squash and cordial as options for mixing with still or sparkling water.
Tesco's drink ranges include squash and ready-to-drink sparkling flavoured water.
Waitrose lists plain sparkling water that can serve as the water component of a mixed drink.
These options cover squash concentrates for making your own drink and plain sparkling water to mix with them. The sparkling water is a separate ingredient, not a flavoured squash or a ready-to-drink alternative.
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A blackcurrant squash concentrate for a household mixing drinks at home. Check the current bottle's dilution directions and prepared-drink nutrition before comparing it with finished drinks.
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A six-bottle pack of Summer Fruits concentrate for mixing drinks at home. Use the directions on these bottles and check their prepared-drink nutrition rather than assuming the ratio for standard Robinsons squash applies.
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A lemon squash concentrate in a six-bottle pack for home mixing. Check the dilution ratio and prepared-drink nutrition on the current bottles before making a comparison with other drinks.
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A single bottle of pineapple and passion fruit squash for mixing at home. Follow the current label's dilution instructions; compare nutrition for the prepared drink rather than figures for undiluted squash.
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Plain sparkling water to mix with a squash or cordial bought separately. This six-bottle pack supplies the sparkling base, not the flavour; check the current bottle for after-opening storage instructions.
Yes, for squash intended to be diluted with it: M&S Food explicitly suggests pairing its squash with still or sparkling water. Start with the directions on your chosen bottle and adjust the strength to taste where appropriate.
Compare the drink as prepared according to each product's dilution directions where those figures are given. Belvoir Farm, for example, gives prepared-drink values at 1:6 for its No Added Sugar Cherries & Berries Cordial and 1:10 for its standard Elderflower Cordial.
No. A Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust dental article warns that sugar-free fizzy drinks can still be acidic and contribute to tooth erosion. Consider when you serve sparkling drinks rather than treating the sugar wording as a reason to sip them all day.
Follow the instructions for the bottle you buy. Waitrose says its Essential Sparkling Natural Mineral Water should be refrigerated after opening and consumed within three days; do not assume that period applies to other water or cordial products.