Drinking The World

For several years I have heard about making your own tonic syrup to make tonic water for an old fashioned spin on the Gin & Tonic. Years ago I was sent prototypes of Q Tonic before it came on the market, and I was the first writer in the US to be sent samples of Fever-Tree tonic and their whole line, to review. But today I finally got around to trying to make it myself for the first time. I've had all the ingredients, but just never got around to it until now.

This first batch of tonic syrup came out pretty good, but not great. It is recognizably tonic water and better than any store bought I have ever had. But I think that eventually I will come up with several different home made tonic water recipes that will be sublime. For the drink I diluted it 1 part syrup to 2 parts club soda. I shook the .75 oz syrup and 1.5 oz gin on ice and strained into an old fashioned glass, then I gently added 2 oz club soda, a few ice cubes, and stirred. I tried it with several types of gin, but liked it best made with Bols Genever.

I don't have my soda siphon up here in Maine, and will have to bring it back next week when I am in NYC. That way I can make up a quart of tonic water at a time and carbonate it.

Recipe after the jump

Follow up:

Batch One
32 oz H2O
6 whole, crushed, Key Limes weighing 110 grams, just under 4 oz
1/4 tsp / 1 gram powdered Star Anise
2 tsp / 4grams ground Sumac Berries
20 threads Kashmer Mogra Saffron
1/2 tsp Vietnamese Cassia (forgot to weigh) Cassia is what we here in the US call cinnamon. Real Cinnamon actually is slightly different in flavor.
1/4 cup / 50 grams Citric Acid (sometimes called Sour salt)
1/2 tsp / 4 grams kosher Salt
1/4 cup / 22 grams chopped Cinchona Bark (Quinine bark)

2 cups cane sugar

I put all the ingredients except the sugar in a sauce pan and brought it to boil, then simmered 30 minutes. I filtered the liquid hot through double coffee filters, twice. This made apx 16 oz liquid. I then added cane sugar to the hot liquid in jar, which topped off to just under 32 oz. I shook it to melt the sugar. It came out relatively clear, with just a mild haze, and a beautiful red/amber color. You couldn't taste the saffron, but there was a great floral aroma.

I will have to get whole cassia, cinnamon, star anise, sumac berries, etc. for future use so that filtering is easier. But for next few batches I will use what I have. I also have to go through my botanicals to see what might work nicely. I have a pound or two each of over 130 different ones.

I will also add the citric acid after boiling next time, to taste. I think that 50 grams is too much. Maybe I'll use a bit less cinchona bark as well. I don't think I'll bother with the saffron again, it just got too overwhelmed. But I will make some saffron simple syrup to play around with.