Price: $6 pack of 4, 10 oz. bottlesBest consumed: Contemporary or classic style gins that could benefit from a hint of added citrus flavor in a Gin and TonicSweetener: Cane SugarAvailability: Online or your local high-end groceryRating: A well executed high-end tonic that hits all the expected marks but doesn’t really innovate much on the formula. … Read more
My Sodastream was life changing. Mostly because I drink a lot of seltzer. I also frequently use it when I’m doing tonic syrup reviews. But Sodastream also makes their own line of soda flavorings. They range from cola, to lemon lime, and yes, to even tonic. Though in concept Sodastream Tonic is quite similar— ingredient wise … Read more
Llanllyr Source is one of the new names in craft tonic waters to burst onto the scene. The brand’s story is that their water comes from the “organic fields of Llanllyr, Wales for over 800 years.” The story says that these natural springs have been known since at least 1180 when Rhys ap Gruffydd arrived … Read more
Pennyback Tonic Water hails from Austin, Texas and is the latest in craft approaches to Tonic Water. The Pennyback Tonic website describes their market as the “[customer] grown tired of sweet syrupy products traditionally available in the mixer marketplace.” [Source] Pennyback Tonic uses two sweeteners— cane sugar and agave; however, it’s still only 80 calories … Read more
Iceland may be a small nation, but it punches well above it’s weight in terms of gin. In others words, there’s a lot of good gin being distilled in Iceland. Glacierfire is the first craft Icelandic tonic maker, and Glacierfire Botanic Tonic Water is one of six(!) in their lineup. Firstly, all of Glacierfire’s tonic … Read more
I walked into my next door bodega, and asked if if they had any tonic water. He said, “We have club soda, it’s the same thing.” I kindly told him that it’s not. He asked me, “What are you making?” “Gin and Tonic,” I said. “Yep, the same thing. Club soda and Tonic water are … Read more
I can’t get enough tonic syrup. This is by far the best trend to hit gin since gin became cool again. Straight out of Oklahoma City. I know, you probably didn’t think of Oklahoma as a hot bed of cocktail incubation. But this is what I love about the craft spirits thing. It’s everywhere. Really. … Read more
Ruby D’s Citrus Quinine Tonic takes their main tonic syrup offering and subtracts some of the herbs and spices and instead veers in a totally different direction with citrus zest and citrus oils. It’s part of a series of tonic syrups which instead of cultivating a following based around catering to one subset of the tonic … Read more
Small Hand Foods’ Yeoman Tonic Syrup uses red cinchona bark (the usual bark in tonic) along with lemon juice, gentian extract, sweet and bitter orange peels, lemon peels and cinnamon. Yeoman Tonic Syrup is described as being inspired by James Burrough and Desmond Payne of Beefeater Gin fame. This syrup is sweetened with both cane sugar and … Read more
In the world of artificial sweeteners, Stevia has definitely seen its stock rise. Approved by the United States Food and Drug Association in 2008, it’s emerged as the artificial sweetener alternative of choice. However, Stevia has elicited some mixed reactions. Let me quote a piece by Svati Narula published in Quartz in 2014: “But consumers … Read more