Hosts with a shared drinks table
Larger bottles or multipacks suit a table or self-serve station where guests pour sparkling water with food or add their own garnish. Put out bottles in stages rather than opening them all at once.
Who is each serving format for?
Hosts serving individual drinks
Smaller cans and bottles are easier to hand out when guests are moving around, without relying on one shared opened bottle.
Hosts offering a flavoured alternative
A fruit-flavoured sparkling drink provides a ready-to-serve option alongside plain water. Check the exact ingredients if acids, flavourings or sweeteners matter to your guests.
What should you check before buying?
Decide whether guests will pour from a shared bottle or take individual drinks, then choose between plain water, a flavoured drink and a mixer.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Serving size | Compare the bottle or can volume and the number in each pack. Consider how many can be chilled and how you will put them out. | I'm setting up a drinks table, so shareable bottles make sense; for guests moving around, I'd rather offer individual portions. |
| Plain or flavoured | Read the ingredient list. A flavoured sparkling drink may contain acids, flavourings or sweeteners: Volvic's Touch of Strawberry Sparkling, for example, lists citric acid, flavourings, acesulfame K and sucralose. | I want plain water available, with a separate fruit-flavoured choice for guests who prefer one. |
| Mixing role | Decide whether guests will also drink the water on its own. Buxton Water notes that soda water may have added minerals, which can affect its flavour in a mixed drink. | If the bottles are mainly for mixers, I'll check whether soda water gives the flavour I want; otherwise, plain sparkling water can serve on its own. |
| Opened bottles | Check the storage instructions on the exact pack. Keep unopened bottles back until they are needed rather than leaving every bottle open at the drinks station. | I'd like to serve drinks in stages, especially if guests might not finish a large opened bottle. |
| Acidic drinks | Check flavoured drinks for added acids. The Oral Health Foundation notes that frequent exposure to acidic drinks can contribute to enamel erosion. | Some guests may want plain water alongside flavoured fizzy drinks during a long evening. |
What can go wrong with the choice?
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Assuming every fizzy water is a neutral substitute
Soda water may contain added minerals, while a flavoured sparkling drink can contain acids, flavourings and sweeteners. Either difference can matter when you are choosing a plain drink or a mixer.
Decide how the drink will be served, then read the ingredient list of the exact product.
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Buying only large bottles when guests will be moving around
Shared bottles suit a drinks table but are less convenient for guests taking individual drinks; opened bottles can also lose their fizz.
Consider smaller portions alongside shareable bottles if both serving styles are planned, and put out unopened stock as needed.
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Treating sugar-free flavoured fizz as the same as plain water
Volvic's sugar-free Touch of Strawberry Sparkling lists citric acid. The Oral Health Foundation notes that frequent exposure to acidic drinks can contribute to enamel erosion.
Check the ingredients and make plain water available as another choice.
Which brands and ranges are relevant?
These brand and retailer ranges illustrate different formats and ingredients; they are not a ranking or a list of Joybuy stock.
Highland Spring
Highland Spring lists plain sparkling water in 500ml and 1.5L bottles and a 6x1L multipack.
- Choose a format according to whether guests will take their own bottle or pour from a shared one.
- The larger formats are less convenient for individual portions away from a drinks table.
Evian
Evian lists sparkling water in a 33cl aluminium can and a 1L plastic bottle for UK stores.
- The two sizes offer a choice between individual cans and shared pours.
- Choose by the serving format you need rather than assuming the smaller can suits a shared drinks station.
Volvic
Volvic Touch of Strawberry Sparkling is a flavoured, sugar-free 330ml drink rather than a plain sparkling-water option.
- The can provides an individual fruit-flavoured serving.
- Its listed ingredients include citric acid, flavourings, acesulfame K and sucralose.
Buxton
Buxton lists sparkling natural mineral water in 1L x6, 500ml x8 and individual 500ml formats.
- The range covers both shared serving and individual bottles.
- Check which pack format fits the way guests will take their drinks.
Tesco
Tesco lists plain British sparkling natural mineral water in 2L bottles and 6x2L multipacks, alongside flavoured products.
- The larger plain-water formats suit a shared drinks station.
- Check the individual listing before treating a flavoured product as plain water.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists plain sparkling spring water in 2L bottles and 4x2L multipacks, as well as flavoured sparkling drinks.
- The 2L plain-water listing names spring water and carbon dioxide as its ingredients.
- A large bottle is less convenient when guests need their own portion away from the table.
Joybuy sparkling water options
These plain sparkling-water options include smaller portions for guests moving around and bottles for shared serving. Choose the format that matches your drinks setup; this selection does not cover flavoured drinks or soda water.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 8x500ml
Eight 500ml bottles give guests individual portions rather than requiring a shared opened bottle. This format means more separate bottles to chill and manage than a large shared one.
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Buxton Sparkling 8x500ml
Eight 500ml bottles suit individual servings. Joybuy's instructions for this product say to refrigerate opened bottles and consume them within 3 days; follow the instructions on the pack you receive.
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Cano Water Sparkling Resealable 12x500ml
This pack of resealable 500ml cans suits individual servings that guests can take away from the drinks table. It gives you more separate units to chill and manage than a shared bottle.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 6x1L
Six 1L bottles suit shared pours at a table or drinks station and can be put out in stages. Joybuy's instructions for this product say to refrigerate after opening and use within 7 days; check the pack you receive.
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SAN PELLEGRINO Sparkling Natural Mineral Water
For a shared drinks table, check the bottle volume and pack count on the listing against the number of pours you expect. Keep bottles sealed until needed to retain their fizz, and follow the pack's instructions after opening.
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy sparkling water or soda water for mixers?
Choose according to the flavour you want in the mixed drink. Buxton Water notes that soda water may contain added minerals; plain sparkling water is also an option if guests will drink it on its own.
Is flavoured sparkling water the same as plain sparkling water?
No: check the ingredients of each drink. Volvic Touch of Strawberry Sparkling, for example, lists carbonated spring water, citric acid, flavourings and the sweeteners acesulfame K and sucralose.
What should I consider if guests will drink fizzy drinks throughout the evening?
Keep plain water available alongside flavoured fizzy drinks. The Oral Health Foundation notes that frequent exposure to acidic drinks can contribute to enamel erosion; check flavoured products for added acids such as citric acid.
How should opened party bottles be stored?
Follow the instructions on the exact pack and refrigerate opened bottles where directed. Joybuy's product instructions say to use opened Highland Spring 6x1L within 7 days and Buxton Sparkling 8x500ml within 3 days after refrigerating them.