Wegmans is a grocery store chain, popular in the American Northeast. Their store brands have a reputation for being of higher quality, rising above the stereotype of being “generic.” Wegmans Tonic Water is sweetened with sugar. There’s 60 calories per 200 mL serving. Additional ingredients include citric acid, natural flavors and quinine. Tasting notes Fizz … Read more
Mixwell Tonic Water draws inspiration for their dandelion flavored tonic water from a popular soda in the UK— the Dandelion and Burdock— and combines it with tonic water. Dandelion is not common in American soda culture; however, it shares cultural roots with other drinks like root beer. More than just a dandelion tonic water, Mixwell … Read more
Strongwater is a Denver, Colorado based producer of bitters and mixers. Inspired by equal parts folk medicine and chemistry, their mixers are botanically driven. Strongwater Orange Blossom is flavored with tangerine and orange blossom. It is sweetened with cane sugar and is moderately sweet by calories— 60 per 200mL serving, Tasting Notes Aroma: Sweet orange … Read more
Q Mixers emerged out of a darker time in the world of Gin and Tonic. Many of the tonic waters on the market were as sweet as sodas. In 2007, Jordan Silbert founded the company. Their flagship Q Tonic Water was among the first “less sweet” tonics with a more rounded, less metallic quinine note. … Read more
Sanpellegrino is perhaps best known for their mineral waters; however, in the last few years they’ve gotten into tonic water as well. Sanpellegrino Tonica Citrus is sweetened with sugar and has citrus natural flavors added. The tonic water is restrained with its sweetening— 50 calories for 200 mL of tonic. Tasting Notes Rather intense with … Read more
Hansen’s Tonic comes in the perfect sized can for a really tall Gin and Tonic – so immediately it gets points there. It has an attractive bright appearance, invoking a certain bright “citrusy” feeling right from the outset. This seems appropriate, as Hansen’s tonic has two important points of difference when looking at its ingredients: … Read more
Extra bitter. Two words that are music to my ears (-1 pt, mixed metaphor) when it comes to food. Yes, I love the bitter and the challenging. And the folks at Ruby D have been doing some experimenting. They have a original, spice, citrus, and this one- the extra bitter. All are small (very small) … Read more
Launched in 2010, Thomas Henry Tonic Water has risen— and is held in quite high esteem by Gin and Tonic aficionados. Sweetened, only slightly with sugar Thomas Henry Tonic celebrates the Pharmacist of the same name. Thomas Henry lived from 1734–1816 in London and his predictions proved prescient. Impressed by Joseph Priestly’s discovery of dephlogisticated air … Read more
Refreshe is one of Safeway’s store brands. And Refreshe Tonic Water is incredibly inexpensive. At this price, it’s easy to see why it would be a popular go-to. But how does it stand up? It’s 90 calories/8 oz. serving, bittered with Quinine Hydrochloride salt and is sweetened with High Fructose Corn Syrup. Tasting Notes Poured, … Read more
Jeffrey’s Lime Galangal and Orange Tonic Syrup is one of four in their lineup of tonic syrups, all of which have the surprising addition of sea salt to the recipe. As for the Lime, Galangal and Orange— we often see orange in other tonic syrups. And Lime is a classic part of the G&T formula. However, Galangal … Read more