Who is each format for?

Solo travellers who want to open and drink

A small ready-to-drink sparkling pressé avoids carrying water for dilution. Tesco lists bottlegreen sparkling pressé in 275ml and 4x250ml formats.

People sharing food and drinks

A 750ml ready-to-drink bottle may suit a group planning to share it. ASDA lists a bottlegreen sparkling elderflower pressé in this size; consider how you will carry and serve it.

Travellers carrying sparkling water

Concentrated cordial lets you mix a drink during the journey, provided you have sparkling water and something suitable to mix it in. Sainsbury’s lists Belvoir Farm ginger cordial with instructions for dilution in sparkling water.

What should you check before buying?

Decide whether you want to mix a drink on the train, then check the pack size and the label for the exact product.

Priority What to check Your needs
Ready to drink Check whether the label describes a sparkling drink or a concentrated cordial. For cordial, check the dilution instructions and bring sparkling water if you want fizz. I would rather open a drink than carry water and mix it on the train.
Pack size Tesco lists 275ml and 4x250ml bottlegreen pressé formats; ASDA lists a 750ml bottle. Check how many individual drinks you need and whether you can serve a larger bottle. For one person, I want a single portion. If we are sharing, a larger bottle could work.
Sugar figures Check whether nutrition is stated for the drink as sold or after dilution, and compare the same preparation basis. ASDA lists 4.4g sugars per 100ml for bottlegreen 750ml pressé; Sainsbury’s lists 3.8g per 100ml for Belvoir Farm ginger cordial diluted 1:10. I want to understand what the sugar figure describes before comparing a prepared cordial with a ready-to-drink pressé.
Ingredients and dietary statements Read the ingredients and any dietary statement on the exact variant. Tesco marks bottlegreen 4x250ml sparkling pressé suitable for vegans and Robinsons Crushed Lime & Mint Fruit Cordial suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Ingredients or dietary suitability matter to me, so I will check the particular pack rather than assume the statement applies to a whole brand.

Common buying mistakes

  • Buying cordial when you want a drink to open immediately

    Concentrated cordial needs dilution. To make it fizzy, you also need sparkling water.

    Look for a ready-to-drink sparkling pressé if you do not plan to mix a drink during the journey.

    Mixing cordial means carrying water and a suitable cup or bottle.

  • Comparing sugar figures on different preparation bases

    A ready-to-drink pressé and a cordial label may describe drinks at different stages of preparation, so their per 100ml figures are not automatically comparable.

    Check whether each figure applies to the concentrate or to the drink at the stated dilution.

  • Choosing a large bottle for one person without a serving plan

    A 750ml bottle holds more than the 250ml and 275ml individual pressé formats listed by Tesco, and may be less convenient to carry and serve alone.

    Match the pack to the number of people drinking it and how you intend to serve it on the train.

Relevant brand examples

bottlegreen

Tesco and ASDA list ready-to-drink sparkling elderflower pressé in individual and 750ml formats.

  • Tesco lists a 4x250ml sparkling pressé suitable for vegans.
  • Check the particular pack and retailer listing: Tesco’s 275ml listing was out of stock when recorded.

Robinsons

Tesco lists Crushed Lime & Mint Fruit Cordial as a 500ml concentrate, rather than a ready-to-drink sparkling beverage.

  • Tesco marks this specific cordial suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
  • It needs dilution; use sparkling water if you want a fizzy drink.

Belvoir Farm

Sainsbury’s lists a 500ml ginger cordial with instructions for mixing it with sparkling water.

  • The listing gives a dilution instruction of up to 1:10 for a ginger-beer-style drink.
  • You need to supply the sparkling water and mix the cordial before drinking.

M&S

M&S lists a 500ml elderflower cordial for dilution with still or sparkling water.

  • The listing makes the choice of still or sparkling water clear.
  • The cordial is a concentrate, not a ready-to-drink sparkling pressé.

A ready-to-drink option on Joybuy

This fizzy elderflower drink is a single packaged option for the journey, rather than a cordial to dilute.

Dalston's Fizzy Elderflower 330ml

Dalston's Fizzy Elderflower 330ml

For a solo journey, this 330ml fizzy elderflower drink offers a single packaged option without mixing a cordial with sparkling water.

View on Joybuy

Questions about drinks for train journeys

Can I bring a drink with my train food?

National Rail says passengers can bring their own food on the train. Check your train operator’s conditions for any restrictions relevant to the drink or journey you have planned.

Is sparkling cordial ready to drink?

Not necessarily. A sparkling pressé is already a sparkling drink, whereas cordial is a concentrate: M&S instructs shoppers to dilute its elderflower cordial with still or sparkling water, and Belvoir Farm gives sparkling-water dilution instructions for its ginger cordial.

Which pack size makes sense for one traveller?

A single 250ml or 275ml ready-to-drink portion is straightforward to carry for one person; Tesco lists bottlegreen pressé in those sizes. A 750ml bottle may be more practical when you plan to share it, but check how you will carry and serve it.

Can I compare sugar figures for cordial and pressé?

Compare them only after checking the preparation basis. ASDA lists 4.4g sugars per 100ml for bottlegreen sparkling pressé as sold, while Sainsbury’s lists 3.8g per 100ml for Belvoir Farm ginger cordial prepared at a 1:10 dilution; the figures describe different products and preparation conditions.