Soft drinks and mixer Find your perfect tonic, whether you prefer them plain or fancy something with a twist. Spice up your cocktails or just enjoy solo. A soft drink is a drink that usually contains carbonated water (although some vitamin waters and lemonades are not carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a sugar substitute (in the case of diet drinks), or some combination of these. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives, and/or other ingredients.