Hosts serving different tastes
Plain sparkling water provides an unflavoured choice alongside any flavoured drinks. Consider individual bottles for handing out or larger bottles if guests will share.
Who is each option for?
The useful distinction for a picnic is whether guests want plain fizz, a sweetened fruit flavour or a drink containing fruit juice.
Shoppers checking sugars
Compare the total-sugars figure with the ingredients. A drink labelled no added sugar can still contain sugars naturally present in fruit juice; the NHS includes sugars in fruit juice within its definition of free sugars.
Guests who prefer fruit flavour
Lemon-and-lime sparkling waters and fruit-containing fizzy drinks offer different ingredient combinations. Check whether the flavour comes with juice, a sweetener or both.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the type of drink, then compare its label and pack format against how it will be served.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Compare sugars per 100ml and per container. Check for fruit juice as well as added sugar; no added sugar does not mean zero total sugars. | I want to know what is in the whole drink I will serve, rather than relying on the wording on the front of the pack. |
| Sweeteners and flavour | Read the ingredients for sweeteners and acids. For example, Sainsbury's lists sucralose in its Lemon & Lime flavoured water, while M&S lists steviol glycosides in its lemon-and-lime drink. | Some guests want plain water; others would rather have a sweet-tasting fruit flavour. I need to distinguish the two. |
| Pack format | Compare the number and size of containers. Individual 500ml bottles differ from 1L or 1.5L bottles intended for sharing; plan for cups if needed. | Will guests take their own bottles, or will we pour drinks at the picnic table? |
| Acidity | Do not equate sugar-free with non-acidic. NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria guidance notes that fizzy drinks, including diet versions, are acidic. | If I am considering how often to serve fizzy drinks, sugar content is not the only distinction from still water. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Reading “no added sugar” as “no sugar”
Fruit juice can contribute naturally occurring sugars even when a drink has no added sugar. Sanpellegrino describes its Limonata Zero Added Sugar as containing lemon juice and naturally occurring sugars.
Compare the sugars figure for the container you intend to serve, then check whether juice appears in the ingredients.
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Assuming sugar-free fizz is non-acidic
NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria guidance says that even diet fizzy drinks without sugar can wear away tooth enamel.
If acidity is a concern, keep the distinction between fizzy drinks and still water in mind rather than judging by a sugar claim alone.
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Choosing a flavoured drink by its name alone
Two lemon-and-lime drinks can use different sweeteners: Sainsbury's lists sucralose, while M&S lists steviol glycosides for the products described here.
Read the ingredients on the exact pack, especially if you want to avoid a particular sweetener.
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Overlooking bottle instructions outdoors
Storage and handling directions can matter when pressurised bottles travel in a picnic bag or sit outdoors.
Follow the pack's directions for sunlight, storage and opening; avoid shaking bottles before serving.
Which brands offer relevant options?
These brand examples illustrate different drink types and pack formats; check the label of the particular product you choose.
San Pellegrino
Its Sanpellegrino Limonata Zero Added Sugar is a fruit-containing fizzy drink, not plain mineral water.
- Sanpellegrino describes the drink as containing 10% lemon juice from concentrate and sweeteners.
- The manufacturer also states that it contains naturally occurring sugars, so check total sugars rather than treating “zero added sugar” as “sugar-free”.
Perrier
Perrier describes its plain carbonated mineral water as containing no sugar and zero calories.
- It is a plain-water reference point when comparing flavoured diet drinks with unflavoured fizz.
- Perrier's cited product page is international; check the format of the product offered where you shop.
Highland Spring
Highland Spring describes its sparkling spring water as having nothing added but bubbles.
- The manufacturer lists 500ml bottles, 1.5L bottles and a 6x1L multipack, covering individual and sharing formats.
- Highland Spring reports a pH between 4 and 5 for its sparkling water; plain fizz should not be mistaken for non-acidic water.
Tesco
Tesco's own-label listings include plain sparkling mineral water and a no-added-sugar flavoured water.
- Listed plain-water formats include 12x500ml and 6x2L; a no-added-sugar Apple & Raspberry flavoured water is listed in 4x500ml.
- Compare the exact plain and flavoured product labels rather than assuming they have the same ingredients.
Sainsbury's
Its Lemon & Lime no-added-sugar flavoured sparkling water offers a sharing-size alternative to plain water.
- Sainsbury's lists 1kcal and less than 0.5g sugars per 100ml for its 1L Lemon & Lime product.
- Its ingredients include sucralose and citric acid; it is neither sweetener-free nor unflavoured.
M&S
M&S describes its 500ml Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water as a sugar-free flavoured drink.
- Its ingredient information names steviol glycosides as the sweetener, which helps shoppers distinguish it from sucralose-sweetened options.
- Check the full ingredient list if you want to avoid sweeteners or acids rather than relying on the sugar-free description.
Plain sparkling water options on Joybuy
These bottles represent the plain sparkling-water choice for a picnic. Compare individual 500ml bottles with 1L bottles for sharing; use the label checks above when choosing flavoured drinks instead.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 6x0.5L
Six individual bottles suit a picnic where guests take their own plain sparkling water. Carbonation still matters if you are comparing fizzy drinks with still water for acidity.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 6x1L
Six 1L bottles provide a plain sparkling-water format for pouring and sharing. Bring cups if guests will not have their own bottles, and follow the bottle's storage directions outdoors.
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Buxton Sparkling 8x500ml
Eight individual 500ml bottles offer another plain sparkling option for handing drinks to guests. Check the pack's directions for storing any bottles left open.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 8x500ml
Eight individual 500ml bottles suit handing out plain sparkling water. The Joybuy product information lists naturally sourced water as the ingredient; consult the pack's nutrition panel if you need its stated sugars value.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 6x1L
Six 1L bottles suit a picnic where plain sparkling water will be poured to share. Check the pack's nutrition and storage information for this format before serving.
Picnic drink questions
Does “zero added sugar” mean no sugar at all?
No. A drink containing fruit juice can have naturally occurring sugars without added sugar. Sanpellegrino says its Limonata Zero Added Sugar contains lemon juice and naturally occurring sugars, so check the total-sugars figure on the pack.
How can I identify sweeteners in a flavoured sparkling drink?
Read the product name and ingredients list for the exact drink. For example, Sainsbury's lists sucralose in its Lemon & Lime flavoured water, while M&S lists steviol glycosides in its lemon-and-lime sparkling water.
Does sugar-free sparkling water avoid the acidity of fizzy drinks?
No. NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria guidance says fizzy drinks are acidic and that diet versions without sugar can still wear away tooth enamel. Sugar content and acidity are separate considerations when comparing drinks.
How should I handle sparkling-water bottles at a summer picnic?
Follow the instructions on the particular pack, including any directions about sunlight, storage after opening and careful handling. Keep pressurised bottles from being shaken in transit, and open them carefully when serving.