Tonic Water
By: Anonymous

About

Tonic water is a carbonated beverage with a slight bitter taste. It is usually flavored with lemon or lime, sugar  and caffeine. Tonic water is bitter because of the addition of quinine, a tonic once used to cure or prevent malaria.

Information
Other names: Indian Tonic Water
Translations: Tonizējoša ūdens, Τόνικ, Tonizuojantis gėrimas, منشط للمياه, Тоник за воду, Apa tonica, 토닉 워터, Nước tonic, Tonic Woda, Air tonik, Tonic, トニックウォーター, टॉनिक जल, טוניק מים, Água Tônica, 汤力水, Тоник, Tonic-vesi, Tonic Tubig


Physical Description
Tonic water is sparkling and clear.  It will glow in the dark if exposed to the right type of light.
Colors: transparent


Tasting Notes
Flavors: Bitter, Sparkling
Mouthfeel: Sparkling, Tart
Food complements: Hor's d'oeuvres, Tapas
Wine complements: Na
Beverage complements: Gin, Vodka, Fruit juices
Substitutes: Club soda, Sparkling water


Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Choosing: There are likely only one or two brands carried at your local store.  As the quinine level might be higher in a local brand, be prepared for flavor variations
Buying: Tonic water is available at most supermarkets, mini-marts, and liquor stores
Procuring: Tonic water is manufactured in a factory


Preparation and Use
A Gin and Tonic is made using one part part gin to one part tonic water over ice in a glass with a slice of lime as a topping.
A Vodka tonic has a similar vodka to tonic water proportion.
Cleaning: I had some friends stay for a weekend who were using tonic water in their beverages.  Since I don't care for it, I poured the opened bottle into my stainless steel sink, and it cleaned it wonderfully!
I'm a landlady that often has to clean alot of messes left by former tenants, so I'm hoping to find other cleaning uses.


Conserving and Storing
Tonic water  can be stored unopened for up to a year.  The danger is not that it will become stale or rancid, but that it will lose carbonation.


Social/Political
Tonic water has a strong following in India and other former tropical British colonies that used it a medicine 150 years ago.

History: Tonic water is one of the oldest soft drinks in the world.  Decades older than Coca-Cola.  In the 1980's, workers were cautioned not to drink Gin and Tonics because quinine was used to help cut illegal drugs at that time. A quinine marker showing up in your drug test, meant you might be abusing drugs.