The Gin & Tonic has probably has the richest history of any gin beverage. Tonic water’s history in Europe dates back to the 1600’s, but it has been in use far longer by the Quechua Indians of Peru. The unique flavor of tonic water comes from quinine, which the Indians derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, or “quina”.  It has been used as medicinal “tonic” to relieve the symptoms of malaria and alleviate shivering in cold temperatures. Some believe it can help restless leg syndrome, leg cramps and other problems because it acts as a muscle relaxant.

Today’s commercial tonic water is only a distant, sweet “lite” version of the original. In the United States, this quinine-less flavor arises from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits for tonic water content to be less than 83 parts per million. That’s for good reason. Health benefits aside, quinine at medical concentrations has plenty of side effects, from cardiac arrhythmia, Cinchonism and other risks from overdose. Consult the FDA summary for more information. Therefore, if you dare to explore this “how to make tonic water” post, be careful that your concentration of quinine is not too strong and check with your friendly neighborhood chemist to confirm it. Legalese: Don’t blame us if you get sick.

Nevertheless, homemade tonic water is delightful – much more flavorful than the processed dreck that most purveyors sell (Q Tonic, Fentimans and John’s Premium Tonic Syrup are notable exceptions). Many interesting recipes on the web (such as here, here and here), include exotic ingredients like saffron, lemongrass and allspice that only distract from the taste of a gin – even though they may be fine beverages to help rescue a vodka and tonic from inadequacy. After skillful research, many catastrophes in the Wired Gin labs – as well as some delightful tastings – here is how to make the best homemade tonic water in the world:

The Ultimate Tonic Water

• A scant 1/4 cup of Cinchona Bark
• One quart (four cups) of water
• Juice and zest of two limes (or lemons if you want a brighter “right of the pond” taste)
• 1/4 cup of Citric Acid (also known as sour salt at some local grocers)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 3/4 cups cane sugar
• Sparkling water, such as from a Sodastream, an iSi Soda Siphon or just club soda purchased from your local grocer

In a small pot, boil the water with the cinchona bark and lime juice at a low simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Filter the resulting “tea” through a coffee filter to remove the debris from the cinchona bark and lime zest. While the liquid is still hot, add the sugar, salt and citric acid and stir vigorously. Cool the syrup in your refrigerator.

You’re almost there!

After the syrup has cooled, if you want to try plain tonic water,  add 1 part syrup to 2 to 3 parts sparkling water to taste. You’ve just created the most elegant, woodsy and deep-flavored tonic water. Ever. But, as British officers knew 150 years ago, this beverage needs gin! Experience this version, then move on to the recipe below.

To make the perfect homemade gin & tonic, start with a hearty gin such as Junipero or Tanquaray Classic. Into your favorite gin & tonic glass pour:

• 2 parts gin
• 1 part tonic water syrup
• 3-4 parts sparkling water

Drop a few ice cubes into your glass, admire the unique amber color of your beverage and quaff with delight.

Many insightful people have posted tonic water recipes with far more exotic ingredients (here, here and here), including saffron, lemongrass and coriander. Ugh. These only cover up the creativity of the gin maker! Gin has so many botanicals, so why pollute its flavor?  If you buy bad gin (or even worse, vodka), these recipes may be helpful. However, try this recipe with a good gin and your taste buds will fly!

Please comment if you’ve had a chance to make this tonic and have ideas to bring it closer to gin perfection!

Cucumber & Royale

Our friends at Hendricks revealed this delight of a drink:

1 oz Hendricks Gin
½ oz cucumber simple syrup (1 cucumber blended with 4 oz simple syrup)
rosé champagne

Pour ingredients in order into a champagne flute and stir gently. Garnish with cucumber slice and enjoy.

Tower of London

Bulldog Gin suggests this intriguing combination with an earthy green tea foundation and floral overtones:

2 oz Bulldog Gin
1½ oz St Germain Liqueur
2 oz green tea
1 oz simple syrup
0.5 oz sake

Shake well. Serve in a highball or collins glass over ice. Garnish with lychee.

French 75

Many people suggest the French 75 for a springtime cocktail, although we enjoy it year round. After all, a drink named after a World War I artillery shell should be enjoyed across the seasons. Nevertheless, the brightness of the champagne in this drink evokes summertime refreshment while the sweetness keeps the flavor profile grounded in spring. Plus the yellow pastel color matches the finest spring attire:

1½ oz gin
2 oz lemon juice
1 tsp quick-dissolving sugar
champagne

Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice and add all the ingredients except champagne. Shake, then strain into a chilled champaign flute and top with a champagne. Garnish with a cherry.

Miller’s Pear-fection

This luscious cocktail from Martin Miller’s Gin also has a fabulous pastel color – orange – that certainly fits the season. The interplay between the gin, Pernod and Pear flavor is also plenty of fun!

2 oz Martin Miller’s Gin
4 oz pear nectar
½ oz Pernod Anise
1 oz simple syrup
0.5 oz sake

Shake well. Serve in a highball or collins glass over ice. Garnish with lychee.

Juniper is not a cultivated crop. The plants grow wild and the people who harvest the berries pick by hand and throw the berries in a sack. It takes berries from more than one supplier to make up the amount a big distillery needs. Luckily, a little bit of juniper goes a long way. The berries are harvested in the fall and go through rigorous testing by each distiller to meet the grade necessary for a consistent quality beverage.

Gin is not the only the product based on the juniper berry. It is an important spice in the traditional dishes of Central Europe such as sauerkraut and venison. In ancient Rome, juniper berries were used in place of peppercorns that were rare and expensive. Juniper berries used for cooking are always crushed, never used whole. They are used sparingly, mostly with game meats, pork or for curing fish. Recipies that highlight juniper range from simple dishes like Blueberries in Gin Syrup to more subtle dishes like Juniper-Brined Roast Turkey. Yum!

When cooking with juniper, remember that it is used as a diuretic and also as an agent to stimulate uterine contractions during labor. Breastfeeding women, women who are pregnant, people with kidney disease, children under 12 and elderly people should not eat food prepared with juniper.

Juniper is used widely in herbal medications. It is used in the treatment of urinary tract infections. Its oil has an antiseptic quality that disinfects the urinary tract as it passes through. The berry also has a diuretic effect that dilutes the urine. It is also used in the treatment of bladder stones. It is used as a digestive aid and as a relief to many gastrointestinal disorders. It is purported to help with rheumatism, arthritis and gout. Applied as a poultice made with its diluted essential oil, it warms the tissues by perfusing them with blood. It relieves the pain of swollen and aching muscles and joints. Juniper can be inhaled as a vapor to help treat bronchitis and pulmonary infections and the berries can even be chewed to freshen the breath and heal infected gums. As was pointed out in using juniper in the kitchen, care must be taken in its usage and a qualified professional should supervise all usage. Because juniper bushes are plentiful in the grazing areas of sheep it has been noted that it has a curative effect on them, also. Local veterinarians used it to cure dropsy in sheep.

Botanicals have a rich history and role in folklore, juniper is no exception. The Holy Family was said to hide from King Herod’s soldiers in a juniper bush. In Grimm’s fairy tale called “The Juniper Tree,” murder, cannibalism and revenge all make for gruesome bedtime reading. Juniper was burned during outbreaks of the plague. Scottish folklore claims the smoke from juniper wood fires was used for ritual purification of temples. It is used for “smudging” a house to clear it of evil spirits and used a charm to ensure long term protection.

Juniper is the defining ingredient in gin, but the family has grown recently, adding new takes on the standard recipes. The selections range from Hendrick’s Gin, with its infusion of cucumber and rose to evoke the feel of drinking in an English garden to Aviation Gin in which lavender gets equal time all the way to Junipero, a gin hoped up on juniper-steroids so as to resemble a Steinhäger dry gin, one that is aromatic, but with few botanicals added. Finding the perfectly juniper-balanced gin for this evening may take awhile, but it is time well spent.

First, the last month’s release of the movie Julie and Julia showcases the cocktail’s creator and advocate, Julia Child.  I’ve always appreciated the fact that she attributed her longevity to “red meat and gin”.  Despite her perceived benefits of gin, vermouth was a far more popular ingredient in her recipes. The Upside Down Martini – with far more vermouth than gin – is naturally her cocktail of choice.

As the New York Times recently noted, the other big event is that Julia’s favorite vermouth, Noilly Prat, are returned to selling its original European recipe in the United States. The availability of this arguably richer vermouth means that we can now easily enjoy an Upside-Down Martini in the original form that Julia enjoyed. The recipe is quite simply:

5 parts dry vermouth (Noilly Prat is ideal)
1 part gin sweet vermouth
Lemon twist for garnish

Pour vermouth into a wine glass filled with ice, top with gin and garnish with lemon twist.

Smuggle into the theater and enjoy the next showing of Julie and Julia from a new perspective.

1. Stellar Apple

Speaking of Stellar, Stellar Gin recommends this seasonally appropriate version of Gin & Juice:

   1½ ounces Stellar Gin
   3 ounces apple juice
   Squeeze of lemon juice
   1 apple slice (red or green), for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice and add the ingredients. Shake for approximately 15 seconds, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and add the garnish.

2. Satan’s Whiskers

Eric Felton recently extolled the virtues of Satan’s Whiskers in a recent Wall Street Journal column Halloween Cocktails Needn’t Be Frightful. Here’s his excellent recipe:

   ½ oz gin
   ½ oz dry vermouth
   ½ oz sweet vermouth
   ½ oz freshly squeezed orange juice (blood oranges preferred, of course)
   ½ oz Grand Marnier
   1 dash orange bitters

Stir with ice until bitingly cold and then strain into a stemmed cocktail glass. Garnish with orange twist. For a variation, substitute Cointreau Noir for the Grand Marnier.

3. Negroni

With a reddish color to match the falling leaves, the Negroni is the classic cocktail of choice for the cool fall evenings:

1 oz gin
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz Campari

Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice and add the ingredients. Shake for approximately 15 seconds, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of orange.

4. Maple Gin Fizz

As described earlier this year at SlashFood, Jason Neu created the Maple Gin Fizz, which feels like an invitation to winter with its robust amaretto and maple flavors.  A cockle-warming delight!

   2 ounces gin
   ½ ounce amaretto
   ½ ounce cream
   1 egg white
   ½ ounce pure maple syrup
   1 ounce lemon juice
   Seltzer

Shake all ingredients except seltzer with ice for at least one minute. Strain into a champagne flute and top with a splash of seltzer.

5. Thanksgiving Cocktail

This recipe has many variations, but we believe this version is just the thing to get you in the turkey mood. 

   1 oz gin
   ½ ounce dry vermouth
   ½ ounce apricot brandy
   ½ teaspoon creme de cassis
   ½ teaspoon lemon juice

Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice and add the ingredients. Shake for approximately 15 seconds, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.