Core of G&T or Gin And Tonic is Tonic Water

Remember your good old  hostel days , only two affordable options for drink were available :  Gin & Tonic and Rum & Cola . Time passed but honestly our first choice is still Gin with Tonic in the crowd of single malts and other expensive drinks. 

It is interesting to note that Tonic water is based on Quinine , made from the bark of Quinine Tree or Fever Tree . And it’s history is linked with Indian SubContinent.  When Britishers came to India in seventeen eighteen century and its  hot and humid climate as well as hostile mosquitoes made their life miserable . Only treatment of malaria was bitter pills of Quinine. To make quinine more user friendly someone in the Britisher Crowd prepared Tonic Water by dissolving quinine in drinking water. And to make it a pleasant experience served with Gin. The concoction became instant hit. As the time passed tonic water in its modern avatar is carbonated  with  a significantly lower quinine content and also sweetened. But it still has its old faithful partner Gin to create magic. 

I t’embête that during seventies and eighties there were very few places in India except Bombay to get supply of Tonic water. 

To take a challenge, we started making tonic water at home which was much cheaper and much better.  Our objective was very clear ;

1. The preparation had to be essentially tasty , but subtle enough to accentuate, not overpower the gin flavor.
2. It had to be cold extracted because cooked citrus will loose its zest. 
3. It needed to be just barely sweet and pleasantly bitter.

We experimented with  two versions - both had the basics: cinchona bark (the natural source of quinine), and citric acid necessary for extraction and helpful for preserving.

The first version had just citrus zest and lemongrass. The second had zest, lemongrass, and other botanicals such as cardamom, lavender and allspice.

We filled our jars with filtered water, shook them daily, and allowed them to steep for 72 hours.

Our version was not carbonated so while mixing our tonic water with Gin we used to add dash of soda water. 

Now a days so many brands of tonic water available on a grocery store shelves like Fentimans , fever tree, Canada Dry , Double Dutch Indian Tonic Water. 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups water (675 ml)
• ¼ cup chopped cinchona bark (1 ounce / 28 grams)
• ¼ cup citric acid (2.2 ounces / 62 grams)
• 3 limes peeled zests only (0.4 ounce / 11 grams)
• 3 lemons peeled zests only (0.5 ounce / 14 grams)
• 2 oranges peeled zests only (0.5 ounce / 14 grams)
• 3 stalks lemongrass tops and bottoms trimmed and outer leaves removed then sliced into ⅛" to ¼" rounds (2.5 ounces / 71 grams)
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 3 whole green cardamom pods
• 1 tablespoon lavender
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Rich Simple Syrup

• 3 cups natural cane sugar (21 ounces / 600 grams)
• 1 ½ cups water (355 ml)

We need:

• Lime wedges
• Sparkling water

How to make 

• Combine all ingredients except rich simple syrup in a sterilized, one-quart lidded glass jar. Shake to combine. Refrigerate 72 hours, shaking occasionally, at least once per day.
  
• Make rich simple syrup: dissolve 3 cups sugar in 1 ½ cups water over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool. Transfer to a container and refrigerate.
• After 72 hours, strain tonic mixture into a large glass pitcher. Strain tonic a second time, using a coffee filter or very fine cheesecloth.
• Whisk simple syrup into tonic until thoroughly combined.
• Pour tonic syrup through a funnel into storage bottles and store in the refrigerator.

For the Ultimate Gin & Tonic

• Fill a highball glass with ice. Add 1 tablespoon tonic syrup, 2 ounces gin, and 2 ounces sparkling water. Stir to combine. Serve with a lime wedge (about ⅙ of a fresh lime). To drink: squeeze the lime wedge into the drink, then drop it in.

Carefully wash citrus fruits and lemongrass before zesting / chopping.