5 Best Sugar-Free Tonic Waters Of 2024
If you really enjoy tonic water but you don’t want all of the sugar that comes with enjoying them, there are a bunch of different options out there.
The problem with standard tonic waters is that they usually have a lot of sugar in them, or at least more sugar than you might really want to drink.
Thankfully, there are also sugar-free options on the market so you can get your tonic water and enjoy it without having to worry about the excessive sugar in it.
What is the best sugar-free tonic water? The best sugar-free tonic waters are usually going to have either no additional sweeteners or use only natural sweeteners in their recipe. Depending on what drink you’re planning on incorporating tonic water into, it can also be helpful to buy one with additional flavorings, such as cucumber or lemon.
In this guide, we will share with you the best sugar-free tonic waters out there. Keep reading to learn about the 5 best sugar-free tonic waters and more!
What Is Tonic Water?
Tonic water is a carbonated water that has quinine in it, which creates a sharp bittersweet flavor. You may recognize brand names like Canada Dry or Schweppes, though there are many more tonic water distributors out there.
Most of the traditional tonic waters on the market have been sweetened so that the bitterness from the quinine has a more balanced flavor.
Tonic water was actually originally created as a kind of medicine for British soldiers in India. In order to mask the bitter flavor of the quinine, officers would mix it with soda and sugar, and thus, tonic water was born!
How To Choose A Tonic Water
Whether you’re looking for tonic water to mix a drink or you just like the feel and flavor of tonic water, you need options right?
There are a lot of tonic waters out there that are loaded with sugars. While you wouldn’t expect sugar to be a high part of something that has “water” in the title, you should beware that many of them have a lot of sugar.
The good news is that they don’t all have tons of sugar and some of them are sweetened with alternatives.
In this part of our guide, we have some tips for choosing a good sugar-free tonic water for your enjoyment.
Don’t Be Misled
Before you sit down and purchase a tonic water, take a moment to look at the nutrition facts and ingredients labels.
Learning to understand the ingredients used in your favorite tonic will come in very handy. It’s a good idea to get familiar with reading labels and know if this supposedly healthy drink is maybe too good to be true.
That diet tonic water you’ve been drinking might have just as many calories as a regular glass of soda!
On the same note, there are options out there that really are better. Some diet options are more reliable with their “no sugar” claims.
Is Sugar-Free Tonic Water Healthy?
In all truthfulness, tonic water has really very little to offer by way of health benefits. While it might not really be healthy or have health benefits for you, it also isn’t necessarily unhealthy.
Sugar-free tonic water is the best way to enjoy something similar to tonic water, but at most, the tonic water will just keep you hydrated, which is always a good thing!
As well as keeping you hydrated, if you were to measure sugar-free tonic water against its counterpart that is made with sugar, then you would find that the sugar-free options are healthier.
The 5 Best Sugar-Free Tonic Waters Available
Tonic water is a great way addition to a drink and can even be a refreshing beverage on its own! There are tons of different options to choose from, so we’ve searched the market to try to find you the very best options out there.
Our goal was to narrow down the choices to bring you sugar-free tonic water that is high-quality and has a delicious flavor without a bunch of additives or sugar.
Below, you will find our top picks for the 5 best sugar-free tonic waters out there.
| Rank | Product | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Fever Tree Refreshingly Light Cucumber Tonic Water | Best overall sugar-free tonic water |
| 2. | Zevia Zero Calorie Tonic Water Mixer | No added artificial sweeteners |
| 3. | Canada Dry Diet Tonic Water | Comes in 1-liter size bottles |
| 4. | Spindrift Sparkling Water | Delicious, lemon flavor |
| 5. | Schweppes Diet Tonic Water | Great option that comes with 6 10 oz. bottles |
1. Fever Tree Refreshingly Light Cucumber Tonic Water
This first option comes to you in individual glass bottles of light cucumber tonic water. There are 24 bottles in this package.
This is flavored with fructose (which is fruit-derived and only causes a low rise in blood sugar as opposed to glucose) but it does not contain refined sugar.
It also has an added light cucumber flavor that helps to balance the bitterness that tonic water is known for. The combination is light and refreshing. The cucumber flavor in this tonic water comes from cucumber extract.
The ingredients list is pretty simple with carbonated spring water, fructose, citric acid, natural cucumber flavor, natural lemon flavor, other natural flavors, and quinine.
These are perfect for mixing or even just drinking!
Pros:
- Low in calories
- Flavored naturally with cucumber
- Sweetened with fructose
- Comes in individual glass bottles
- Quality and reliable option
Cons:
- These are a little bit more expensive because of the quality
2. Zevia Zero Calorie Tonic Water Mixer
Zevia may be a brand that you’ve heard of for their carbonated drinks that come in a variety of flavors.
The nice thing about Zevia is they make an effort to truly bring you a healthier drink without all the added junk in it and this is true of their tonic water mixer too.
Not only is this tonic water sugar-free but it also does not have added artificial sweeteners that are often considered to be bad for you.
All this drink has is carbonated water, natural flavors, citric acid, stevia leaf extract, and quinine. This makes it a simple and reliable choice
This particular option comes in a 12-pack of cans. This means you get individual servings and the cans are recyclable.
The drink also has zero calories, zero sugar, zero glycemic impact, no preservatives, and no artificial colors.
On top of that, it’s a non-GMO product and it’s vegan-friendly as well. You probably can’t really go wrong with this choice!
Pros:
- Absolutely zero additives of any kind
- Short and simple ingredients list
- Comes in a 12-pack of cans
- Absolutely no sugar or artificial sweeteners
- Crisp and sweet flavor combination
Cons:
- Some people think these don’t have a lot of flavor to them. However, they serve well as a mixer
3. Canada Dry Diet Tonic Water
Canada Dry is perhaps one of the most popular brands for things like tonic water and ginger ale. This particular option is a diet tonic water.
The diet approach brings you zero sugar in a classic tonic water. This comes with 1-liter bottles so you will get plenty of tonic water.
The ingredients label is pretty simple. It includes carbonated water, citric acid, sodium benzoate, sodium saccharin, quinine, and natural flavors.
This comes from one of the most classic brands out there for this type of drink and it’s readily available at a lot of grocery stores too.
Pros:
- A class tonic water brand
- Adjusted to remove all sugar
- Classic, bittersweet flavor
- Comes in 1-liter bottle sizes
- Simple ingredients list
Cons:
- This doesn’t have a ton of flavor so it is best for light flavor or mixing purposes
4. Spindrift Sparkling Water
This next one is a smooth alternative to tonic water.
It’s actually a lemon-flavored sparkling water, which is extremely similar but not quite as bitter as traditional tonic water.
The citrus flavor makes it refreshing and more enjoyable flavor-wise. This is flavored with real fruit and does not contain any sugar.
This mixture is truly just sparkling water and real squeezed fruit mixed together. Eliminate some of the bitterness and enjoy a touch of citrus without all of the sugar and additives.
It’s completely unsweetened so there aren’t any other additives to be concerned about either.
It’s a classic twist to give you an alternative option to tonic water, and it is sugar-free!
Pros:
- Alternative to tonic water
- Lemon flavored for light refreshing citrus
- Comes in a pack of 24 cans
- No artificial anything added
- Sweetened and flavored with real lemon
Cons:
- Sometimes leaves an odd aftertaste in your mouth
5. Schweppes Diet Tonic Water
Finally, we have another classic tonic water available to you in diet form, making it a great option.
Schweppes has a classic tonic water that you can depend on, complete in a diet version that eliminates syrups and additives.
This option is a 6-pack of 10-ounce bottles so you have the perfect amount for mixing a drink or enjoying a drink however you please. This brand has been producing tonic water since 1783.
The ingredients in this diet tonic water include carbonated water, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, sodium saccharin, quinine, and natural flavors.
Pros:
- Diet solution to tonic water
- Simple 6-pack with individual bottles
- Long-standing tonic water company
- No added sugars or sweeteners
- Zero calories and zero caffeine
Cons:
- Only 6 come in the package, making this a little pricy
Related Questions
There are plenty of options for sugar-free tonic waters out there if you look hard and find reliable options you can trust. Some sparkling waters even make a great substitute.
Check out the following related questions for some additional information that might be useful for you!
Can you drink tonic water every day?
Tonic water won’t hurt you if you drink it every day but it also really doesn’t have a lot of nutritional benefits either.
You may find yourself sensitive to quinine if you drink too much and we recommend sugar-free options when you plan to drink it regularly as a better choice.
Can you drink tonic water by itself?
Yes, you can drink tonic water by itself. It takes a pretty particular preference for tonic water and a lot of people use it as a mixer, such as in a gin and tonic.
It really is a matter of preference and whether or not you enjoy the flavor alone. It is perfectly safe to drink alone.
Fever-tree light tonic water is NOT sugar-free although it is certainly lower is sugar than normal tonic water
Sodium Saccharin is a sweetener!!
I buy only beverages that come in aluminum cans which can be recycled. It is very energy intensive to transport glass to be recycled and very energy intensive to melt it.
What is the difference between Schweppes Zero sugar tonic water and Schweppes diet tonic water?