The best functional sparkling drinks in the UK.
Published 18 June 2026
"Functional" sparkling drinks are fizzy drinks that add something on top of flavour, from prebiotic fibre to adaptogens to natural caffeine. The UK shelf has filled up fast. Here are the ones worth knowing, what each one is actually about, and how to pick. Functional claims below are each brand's own, so always read the label.
What makes a good functional sparkling drink?
Ignore the buzzwords for a second and check three things:
- Sugar and sweeteners: the best functional drinks are low or zero sugar. Check whether they use sweeteners and which ones.
- Real ingredients: look for named botanicals, real fruit or recognisable functional ingredients rather than a vague "natural flavourings".
- The function is honest: a good brand is clear about what it adds and does not overpromise. Treat any health benefit as the brand's own claim, not a fact.
The best functional sparkling drinks to know.
Trip
Probably the most visible functional brand in British fridges. Trip's sparkling drinks are low in sugar and add CBD alongside adaptogens such as ashwagandha, lion's mane and L-theanine, positioned around calm and focus rather than a caffeine hit. Flavours run from elderflower mint to peach ginger. Widely stocked across major UK supermarkets, health shops and cafes, so it is the easy one to try first.
TENZING
A British natural energy brand named after the Everest mountaineer. Its lightly sparkling cans take their lift from green coffee beans and guarana rather than synthetic caffeine, with added electrolytes, and stay low in calories. If you want a cleaner alternative to a classic energy drink without the heavy sweetness, this is the obvious pick.
Dash Water
The clean-and-simple end of the category. Dash infuses sparkling water with 'wonky' fruit and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste, with no sugar, no sweeteners and no calories. It is not functional in the supplement sense, but it is a genuinely additive-free fizzy drink with a strong sustainability story, in flavours like lemon, raspberry and cucumber.
Olipop and Poppi
The prebiotic soda wave that crossed over from the US. Both build a fizzy, nostalgic soda experience, think cola, cream soda and fruit flavours, around plant fibre and botanicals, with far less sugar than a traditional soft drink. UK availability is still growing, mostly through online and health-focused retailers, so they can take a little hunting down.
Aqua Libra
A grown-up, zero sugar flavoured sparkling water in slim cans, built on natural botanicals and flavours rather than any added function. It will not give you fibre or adaptogens, but it is a clean, no-sugar everyday option that sits happily next to the more loaded drinks on this list.
Remedy Kombucha
For the fermented end of functional. Remedy is a live-cultured kombucha, sparkling and sugar-free, brewed the long way. The tangy, slightly vinegary taste is an acquired one, but if you want live cultures rather than added fibre or CBD, it is one of the most widely available kombuchas in the UK.
How to choose the one for you.
Start from what you actually want: calm, a natural energy lift, gut-friendly fibre, live cultures, or simply fizz without sugar. Then read the label for sugar and sweeteners, and pick a flavour you will genuinely reach for. The "best" functional sparkling drink is the one you will keep drinking, not the one with the longest ingredient story.
The takeaway.
The UK functional sparkling category is broad: prebiotic sodas, adaptogen and natural-energy drinks, kombucha, and clean sparkling waters. The common thread among the good ones is low or zero sugar and real ingredients. If you like the idea of a functional sparkling drink built on real coconut water, keep an eye on EVER, launching soon.