Elderflower is a popular flavor in gin and tonics. Take note that we’ve reviewed Fever Tree’s Elderflower Tonic Water before. And we’ve reviewed Jack Rudy’s Elderflower Tonic Syrup before. Elderflower has been referred to (sometime pejoratively) as the “ketchup of the cocktail world.*” Bottle Green Elderflower Tonic Water is squarely within that space. But let’s … Read more
Double Dutch’s line of tonic waters launched a short couple years ago and they’re among those looking to compete with established names like Fentiman’s and Fever Tree. The brand’s founders are two Dutch Twins* who sought to pair good spirits with good mixers. Double Dutch Skinny Tonic Water is one of an emerging category of … Read more
Mary Pellettieri— co-founder of La Pa Pavia beverages, creators of the Top Note line— began her career at Goose Island Brewery. She then worked at Coors. So perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that on the label for Top Note Indian Tonic Water she borrows from the world of beer to describe it: “The IPA … Read more
Ed. Note— the name of this product may be offensive to some readers. I’m using the official name of the product because that is what it says on the label, but will refer to the ingredient by its more common name, Makrut Lime. For more on why I choose this terminology with gin’s international audience, Wikipedia has … Read more
Firstly, some of you might recognize this as a store brand of tonic. And you might wonder “why on Earth would I be reviewing this?” To that I shake my head. If you ignore store brands, you miss out on some surprising things. Write off store brands, and you write off the actually-pretty-good 365 Tonic … Read more
If you’ve been living (and drinking perhaps) under a rock the past five years, let me catch you up. Elderflower. It’s big in cocktails. It’s big outside of the cocktail world, and it’s especially big within and in gin. Need I remind you of Knockeen Hills Elderflower Gin? If that’s not enough for you (or … Read more
In 1905 Thomas Fentiman received the recipe for a ginger beer as collateral. Over a century later, the Fentimans brand has a whole range of sodas and tonic waters. Fentimans’ tonics are more herbal than others and almost all of them are delicious as sodas on their own. But with gin, they can be assertive, … Read more
Fever Tree’s Premium Bitter Lemon is available stateside and is the American sold name under which you might find their Lemon Tonic (which I think goes by Sicilian Lemon Tonic these days). In the bottle, there’s clearly some sediment in the bottom, likely lemon pulp. The beverage has an ethereal greenish/yellow hue. Fever Tree Bitter Lemon … Read more
If you better know the name Harvey Nichols— and my bet is if you do you’re a reader of mine from the UK— you probably know it as a luxury department store. I mean, I’m hardly an expert in these things— but let me take a stab for my American readers— they’re kind of like a Bergdorf … Read more
Sprouts Diet Tonic Water is the store brand tonic from Phoenix, Arizona based Sprouts Farmer’s Markets. It’s uses Stevia Leaf Extract as its primary source of sweetener. But although this is low calorie tonic water— it’s not zero. Take note. While each 12 oz. pour (12!) of Sprouts Diet Tonic Water contains 10 calories. This … Read more