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Homemade Tonic Water for the Ultimate Gin and Tonic

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Homemade Tonic Water for the Ultimate Gin and Tonic! | Classic Cocktail Recipes

I believe we’ve done the work to call this the ultimate Gin and Tonic recipe.

After several attempts to make an exceptional homemade tonic syrup – including this famous recipe from Jeffrey Morgenthaler, and this one from Lottie + Doof, via Tony Cecchini and the NYTimes – Keith and I were unsatisfied. In all cases, we liked the tonic, but we didn’t love it. Our biggest complaint – we couldn’t taste the gin.

Gin is divisive, isn’t it. Do you know anyone who’s on the fence about it? People seem to either shrivel in horror or swoon with delight at the mention of it. Those who swoon like the flavor of gin, and why? Because it’s loaded with botanicals – primarily juniper, but look at this list of other essences you might experience.

After each attempt at a homemade version, we would end up back with our favorite store-bought tonic, Fever Tree Naturally Light. It’s light, not in a phony sugar way, but in a less-sugar way – a plus as most store-bought tonics are ridiculously sweet. It’s only slightly bitter, and has a fresh citrus flavor. But it’s also understated, too much so once you’ve tried a homemade version. So it was our muse, but we hoped for something even better.

How to Make Tonic Water

We started the experiment to create our own recipe with 3 criteria:

  1. The syrup had to be delicious, but subtle enough to accentuate, not overpower the gin flavor.
  2. It had to be cold extracted because cooked citrus zest tastes, well, cooked.
  3. It needed to be just barely sweet and pleasantly bitter.

Homemade Tonic Ingredients

We decided to try 2 versions – both had the basics: cinchona bark (the natural source of quinine), and citric acid (necessary for extraction and helpful for preserving).

Zested Citrus for Homemade Tonic Water Citrus zest for homemade tonic

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

Homemade Tonic Ingredients Ready For Water Tonic Ingredients with Water

We filled our jars with filtered water, shook them daily, and allowed them to steep for 72 hours. I firmly believed that the version without the additional botanicals would prevail.

I was wrong, sort of.

Think of vanilla extract. Take in that incredible aroma and you’re tempted to take a swig. Or you were tempted before you tried it straight the first time. On it’s own, the extract is bitter and pungent. But in the proper proportion, added to a sugary or savory recipe, is matchless. Tonic syrup is like that.

You can’t try a couple of syrups straight and determine which is superior. You have to make a proper drink and try them side by side. Work, work, work!

Ultimate Gin and Tonic with Homemade Tonic Water

We did our careful taste-testing and were surprised by the result. Both were excellent. Both were missing something. So we took a chance and combined the two. And, Success! Really, the BEST gin and tonic either of us had ever tasted.

What began as rivalry ended in alliance.

Bottoms up!

And if you’re interested in trying other delicious classic cocktails, I recommend this Boulevardier Cocktail recipe and this French 75 Cocktail!

Recipe Update August, 2016 – Several people asked about ingredient weights and I finally got around to weighing as I went – because really, there can be a huge difference in size from one citrus fruit to another or between stalks of lemongrass. 

I’ve also increased the amount of rich simple syrup based on recommendations (looking at you, Ken Smith 🙂 ), from several people who commented on the original post – it still only comes out to be 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar per drink and really does make for a smoother, more balanced flavor. However, if you prefer your tonic more tart / bitter, stick with the original amount of syrup: 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water.

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Homemade Tonic Water for the Ultimate Gin and Tonic
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Note: Penn Herb Co. is a great, and economical, source of Cinchona Bark. For the other ingredients, look in the bulk spice area of your local grocery or health food store. For the bottles, One Kings Lane is a good source. Note: Dry ingredients are listed by weight, liquid ingredients are listed by volume.
Course: Drinks
Servings: 6 cups
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 1/8" to 1/4" 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 1/2 cups water (355 ml)
You'll also need:
  • Lime wedges
  • Sparkling water
Instructions

  1. 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.

  2. Make rich simple syrup: dissolve 3 cups sugar in 1 1/2 cups water over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool. Transfer to a container and refrigerate.
  3. After 72 hours, strain tonic mixture into a large glass pitcher. Strain tonic a second time, using a coffee filter or very fine cheesecloth.
  4. Whisk simple syrup into tonic until thoroughly combined.
  5. Pour tonic syrup through a funnel into storage bottles and store in the refrigerator.
For the Ultimate Gin & Tonic
  1. 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 1/6 of a fresh lime). To drink: squeeze the lime wedge into the drink, then drop it in. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Carefully wash citrus fruits and lemongrass before zesting / chopping.

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Comments

  2. Hi, I made the tonic during the week, yesterday it was ready, I prepared a little batch of syrup.

    After reading all comment I had high hopes and was a little disappointed, but I think that the problem was the sparkling water… a newly opened san pelegrino bottle, but it lost it’s bubbles to quickly, so my G&T was a little bland, it was like gin diluted in water with bitterness… So next time I’ll try prerier and maybe a soda stream from a friend, it really needed more bubbles.
    Also my simple syrup wasn’t made with cane sugar, which is something that also give some flavor, so that’s my fault, I triedwith Erythritol which is a zero calories sweetener to use like sugar.

  3. Hi all,
    I made some tonic water about three weeks ago for Christmas presents. Overall I loved it, next time I’ll adjust the ratios a bit and use less sugar syrup (it come out with a distinctly marmalade note!)

    However, since then all three of my jars have developed strange white clouds. Has anyone else experienced this? Are they now spoiled? They’ve been stored in the fridge. The taste is still fine – I drank some before realising.

    Thanks for anybody’s advice. Google is no help on this one!
    Alex

  4. Hi, I’m really looking forward to trying your tonic, I’ve just made it and it’s in the fridge infusing, day 1… I was just thinking about the sugar syrup and that I do tend to drink sugar free tonic on the whole. Have you or anyone tried using a sugar substitute to make the syrup and if so did it work? I’ll probably give that a go with a part of the first batch in a few days. Thanks.

    • Hi Darren. That’s so great! I hope you love it…On the sugar substitute, I honestly don’t know. I think you have the right idea about trying it with a small amount before adding it to the whole batch. Cheers!

  5. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I LOVE Fever Tree tonic so I’m glad you were attempting something similar. I’m going to try it very soon. I will be using dried lemongrass instead of fresh since it’s difficult to come by and VERY expensive!!
    I have a QUESTION: for the dry ingredients, can I measure by the cup or is it better to weigh it?

    • Hi Lisa! I haven’t tried this with dried lemongrass before, but I’d love to hear how it goes. I found this blurb at Chowhound: “When using the ground powder (sereh) use one teaspoon as an equal to one stalk of fresh. It is advisable to soak dried sliced lemon grass for two hours before using.” As for the other dry ingredients – I think weighing them is best, but don’t worry if you add a little more of this or that.

      Cheers!

      • Thanks, Marissa. What a quick response!! I will soak the dried lemongrass and will post about the results. Will try to get a food scale too!

        Have a wonderful weekend!

  6. Does Point 4 mean: Mix the Rich simple syrup with the “tonic+lemon+rest which stayed for 72 hours” thing ? Or what is number 4. Sorry I am from Germany. So I think that I have to combine the syrup with the self made Tonic water, isn’t it? Thanks for reply.

  7. I made this tonic syrup for the first time at the start of this summer and imbibed in more G&Ts (or Tonic & Gins I call them as the syrup is so yummy!) this season than I’ve had my entire life. 🙂 The hot, hot summer here in Toronto helped them go down real easy!

    We use our Sodastream, mixing as we go, not mixing the syrup in an entire bottle of bubbly water. Our formula of 1.5 tbsp of syrup to 1.5 oz gin, to 3 oz Sodastream water (made extra bubbly) with a squeezed lime wedge is delicious. I prefer 3 ice cubes, my boyfriend prefers 2 cubes. And we serve them in the Spanish style in large red wine glasses. Makes a huge difference in enjoyment.

    Check out my instagram feed for some photos of the making and enjoying! > http://www.instagram.com/safaffect

    Thank you again for a fabulous recipe that others have now been making requests that I make it for them. I’ll be busy!

    • Oh, and my motivation for making this was frugality, wanting the best for less – I had tried a sample of ‘3/4 OZ.’ craft tonic syrup the summer prior and when I learned the price, I figured I could make it for less. And it’s even more delicious!

  8. Thanks so much for this recipe. I ordered the cinchona bark on amazon, living in Caribbean limits what is available but the lavender, is that lavender buds? I will order them too.
    I am so tired of throwing away plastic tonic bottles that I am even going to try and make the carbonated water.
    Looking forward to trying this we love gin and tonic.

      • Hi Marissa, I tried earlier but got bounced off the internet. (just in case you got it) Anyway, we did it, the results are fabulous and we couldn’t wait the 72 hours because yesterday was G and T day. I cooked it a bit to speed up the process.
        Thanks so much for this recipe, we will use it now as our standard. I even got a soda siphon.
        I am curious about the history of tonic water as all I can find on the internet is quinine, lime, sugar and soda water. Is there a better explanation of all the herbs and spices that go into this delish concoction?

        • Fantastic, Jo-Anne! Thanks for letting me know. On the herbaceous concoction, I think it was to disguise the bitterness of quinine which was originally to combat malaria. Of course a little gin doesn’t hurt either. 😉 Cheers!

  9. I’m the biggest G+T fan but fed up with store bought tonic water as it usually too sweet. Fever Tree is good but very expensive up here in Canada. I’m determined to make your syrup recipe. Could you just clarify which cardamom pods you use – green or black?
    Thanks.

  10. Thanks for posting the recipe and the photos. I just made this; my friends were very impressed. It didn’t especially taste like tonic, although it was very good. I used powdered cinchona, and the infusion got quite brown. But it didn’t have that nice bitter quinine flavor.

    It was very, verytangy. I would try halving the citric acid.

    I also (luckily) didn’t add all the simple syrup at once. I ended up using only half and it was plenty sweet for me.

    BTW, it’s also great just in iced water or soda without the gin.

    • i agree, adding too much of what i ended up with to the drink made a mountain dew. enough was proably a 1/4 teaspoon if not an eitght. i used the original syrup recipe with more water but still became cloying.

      i subbed ~equivalent grams of pasted lemongrass as there was no stalks. one problem i had was that straining was exceedingly difficult. it ran through a cloth, used for beer and cheese(i forgot the fabric name) but it wouldn budge in a coffee filter, i left it for an hour and a few spoons made it through. sitting in the fridge it developed clouds of sediment perhaps lemongrass particles. im going try to gin up some traditional tonic water with a flavored simple syrup. i only used cardomom but have had a great cardomom g&t in a bar that was crystal clear vs dew yellow.

      but thanks for the recipe, author

  11. Thank you for the recipe – sounds very interesting and I will definately try it very soon. I was wondering if you had gotten around to converting the amounts into weight? That would eb an awesome help, especially for us Europeans 🙂

    Thanks in advance,

    Peter from Denmark

  12. Have you ever used a SodaStream maker to make a full liter of tonic, If so, how much syrup would you add to make a liter bottle of tonic??

    • I haven’t, but that’s a great idea! Let’s do the math:

      1 drink has 1 tablespoon tonic syrup (1 fluid ounce) and 2 ounces of sparkling water – so about 3 ounces of liquid per drink.
      1 liter is ~34 fluid ounces or just over 4 cups. With the ratio above, I would go with 2 2/3 cups of water and 1 1/3 cups of tonic syrup.

      If you try it out, please come back and let me know how it goes! Cheers!

      • we tried the mix with Soda Stream and it was fine,but lost fizz before we could use bottle up…admit only 1 G&T daily.
        The other thing I tried was pouring 165F water into zest mixture….no burn and seemed like better extraction.No matter,way better than store stuff.Thanks for recipe!

      • I’m still a bit confused by the recipe. The ingredients list says 3 cups natural cane sugar (21 ounces / 600 grams) and 1½ cups water (355 ml) but the instructions say 2 cups sugar in 1 cup water. Which are you using for this particular recipe? Thanks, Andrea

        • Oops, my mistake. When I updated the ingredient list, I missed the numbers in the instructions. It should be 3 cups sugar to 1 1/2 cups water. Cheers!

  13. I just made this last week and it turned out perfect! I used a bit less simple syrup than called for (that much sugar freaks me out a little), it turned out tart and wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!

  14. One thing that kills any drink that needs ice is using the milky junk that most refrigerator ice makers produce. That milky look? Air bubbles. Where does that air come from? Inside your refrigerator… bits of compost in the bottom of the vegetable drawer… cheese mold… any container of leftovers way in the back with a layer of fuzz on it. It’s all in the air of your refrigerator. A bag of ice at 7-11 costs… what… 1.69? It’ll probably last 2 weeks and will be the best thing you ever did for your mixologizing, AND it’s crystal clear! Taste and looks! Win-win!

    • Er, the air is dissolved in the water before it is frozen. On cooling it comes OUT of solution and forms bubbles in the ice. If you want bubble free (and pretty much taste free) ice, boil it first to drive off all that nasty air. Your water supplier also adds a few things which will alter the taste. If you really want nice water, come back to the Scottish highlands and use fresh free running water from the burn. Nothing tastes better in Whisky!

  15. This is an excellent recipe for tonic. I have made it over a dozen times now. I have made some minor tweaks and one major one… I’m afraid the general public, myself included, don’t have the same refined palate as you! Most of the commentary about too sour and too acid is because it needs about half again as much simple syrup. I have been using Domino Demerara sugar at your concentration to make just shy of a liter of finished syrup. This makes a nice color and brings out all the spices to the more plebeian palate. I have recently finished a fairly accurate weight oriented recipe as opposed to volume. I was noting taste inconsistencies – particularly with the lemongrass and the zests. My results in weight lead me to guess you are looking for the same amount of zest from all three fruits, right around half an ounce. Lemongrass comes in around 1.75 ounces. Stalk count versus weight is all over the board, I’m afraid, and it really adjusts the acid and lemon flavors. I also use about double the cardamom and allspice. (about .04 and .07 oz, resp.) Someone mentioned Junipero, which is great gin, as well as Hendricks. Recently I’ve been making my own gin with the Homemade Gin Kit and refills. I make the gin with about half again as much vodka as recommended (See aforementioned plebeian effect.) What brought all this on is Sodastream abruptly canceling their tonic syrup. Now Schweppes tastes like chemicals to me. If I start a craft tonic business I suppose I will feel obligated to split any profits. Thanks so much, Ken PS: Using an orange slice instead of lime really brings out the spiciness.

    • I realized I wasn’t too clear on the simple syrup – notably I left out the word “simple” – I use three cups of Demerara sugar and one and a half cups of water. Conveniently the Domino 24 oz. (weight) package is also about three cups of volume. Last thing I swear: I use a sieve, then a linen cloth, then a coffee filter. Crystal clarity and requires no shaking before diluting.

      • Well this is one knock-out comment Ken! Thank you so much for sharing all of your findings. I really appreciate the note on weights – it’s a great point that stalks of lemongrass are like saying one medium potato. With baking, I love recipes with weights and mixology should be the same. I’m going to try your way in my next batch and eventually will update this recipe with weights to help people (including myself) have a more consistent outcome.

        Cheers!!

      • I noticed yours comes out crystal clear. I too used sieve, cheesecloth and then about 15 coffee filters. Mine looks like orange juice! I wonder what I did wrong.

        • Hi Brenda,

          The final tonic water should be an amber color (like the last couple of photos in this post). Do you mean that your tonic water is cloudy?

    • Hi Ken and Marissa,
      just a quick question, being European I’m a little confused by the cups and so have been trying to make a conversion to grammes or ounces. Ken thank you for your help in this but can you clarify the weight of water? that’s the last bit of the puzzle…
      thanks Amanda

      • Hi Amanda,

        A cup of water is 8 ounces or about 237 grams. Honestly, you don’t need to be precise with the amount of water – you can just add all of the aromatics to your jar and then fill it up with water. Also note that many commenters have preferred a sweeter version – if something doesn’t taste quite right when your tonic is ready, add more simple syrup.

        Cheers!
        Marissa

    • Thank you so much, Ken, for doing the weight work! My heart sinks when I see cups and counts; they’re so unreliable. Just a quick question – when you talk about the final ratio being 1:7 is that 1 syrup to 7 sparkling water or 1 syrup to 7 water+gin? I’m grateful too for your comments about the sweetness because I would have cut down on the simple syrup, or made a standard 50/50 syrup, thinking it would probably be too sweet for my taste (most things are!)

      No-one seems to have commented on the bitterness. As this isn’t something one can adjust to taste without making a new batch I’d appreciate a view on where this recipe sits in this regard, on the understanding, of course, that it’s a very subjective assessment!

      Now…..if I could get y’all to talk in grams…:-)

      • Hi Elyss,

        I’m the same way when I see a recipe for baking – I only like to bake by weight. I promise that it’s on my short list to make a fresh batch of this and update the recipe with weight measurements.

        Cheers!

      • One part finished syrup to seven parts carbonated water. I like tall g&ts so I use half a shot of gin to seven or eight ounces of the final carbonated tonic. Lots of ice.

        • Ken, thanks again for all of your experimenting and input. I just made a fresh batch and went with more simple syrup as you suggested – you’re right! Even better… It seems like a lot of sugar, but since you use 1 tablespoon of tonic syrup for each drink and end up with about 6 cups (96 tablespoons) of tonic water between the concentrate and simple syrup, it’s about 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar per drink, not bad. 🙂

  16. Great to have stumbled across your blog in the quest for the perfect tonic syrup! Cinchona is difficult to get so I wanted to research before I actually tried making it. I dismissed several recipes off the mark, Jeffrey Morganthaler’s because one stalk of lemongrass cannot possibly equal one cup, David Lebovitz (whom I love) because I was suspicious of the cooked citrus thing. Look forward to trying this and will report back – the only thing I was curious about is whether citric acid comes in different concentrations accounting for some commenters finding this recipe on the sour side. I’m going to start with a bit less and tweak as I go. Thanks for doing all the hard work to get us to this point!

    • Hi there! That’s a great question about citric acid – if it’s available in different levels of acidity, I’m not aware of it. Good plan to start with less – you can always add more if you want. I think that citrus rind can vary a lot too – in flavor and acidity. So many variables at work! Let me know how it goes… Cheers!

  17. I’ve made tonic syrup before. This recipe looked intersting so I gave it a go. Way too much citric acid. Way too much! Even diluted with 6 ozs. of club soda it’s instant heartburn. I won’t sacrifice my gin to a tonic water that I can’t even drink straight over ice.

    • Oh, I’m so sorry that it didn’t work out for you. I agree about sacrificing good gin – never a good idea. 🙂 Cheers!

  18. i ve made around 600 G&t at my bar with this recipe, and 99% has been very happy.But the funny thing is that i realized last week that i use 80ml of citric acid instead of 30ml..So this week i am going to try with 30ml.

    • Wow, you’re making it at your bar? That’s awesome! Where is your bar? Feel free to leave a link…& let me know how it goes with the reduced citric acid. Cheers!

      • It’s been a compromise, we are using around 50ml.We also use some star anise & cinnamon.
        I’ve compared this with a new tonic in the market here in Sweden.Ours.Yours..:) is way better!

  19. I’ve made many other tonic recipes, but this had many more tasty botanicals and I was intrigued by the steeping process versus the cooking process. Then I tried. Whoooooooooa. So good! This blew my mind. Loved it! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Took tonic to a whole other level!

  20. I had a fund raiser party with 50 people and offered 5 drinks, The only drink that everyone came back or 2nd’s and 3rd,s was the G&T. Thanks you very much for the awesome recipe

    Even my wife who only drinks wine is now a fan of this G&T

    thanks again

  21. this is the best G&T ever. My wife who is only a wine drinker loves this G&T. I am getting ready to pour this G&T to 50 guests tomorrow. Will post their reactions

  22. We really enjoyed this. I think it was VERY strong though, so we wound up diluting the syrup with a bit more sparkling water, but the end result was very tasty. We also used empty tea bags (for use with loose leaf tea) to strain the mixture, which worked out brilliantly. Thanks for sharing!

  23. I haven’t made your recipe yet, but I was wondering what brands of gin you like in G&Ts. I’ve been experimenting with the standard G&T recipe and then adding a small amount of St Germaine elderflower liquor and grapefruit bitters, and it’s pretty fantastic. I’m excited to replace my generic store bought tonic with your recipe and see how it improves my experiment. Thanks for posting your results.

    • Hi Mason. That hint of elderflower / grapefruit bitters sounds delicious! Generally we drink a locally produced gin – Cascade Lakes. Or, when we’re budget minded Gordon’s dry. Have you tried Hendrick’s? Honestly, it’s a bit too floral for me, but some people LOVE it. Cheers!

  24. Hi Marissa. I made it and I love it but I have a question – how long does your tonic syrup last in the fridge?

    • Hi Jackie – that’s a great questions! We tend to keep ours for a few months. I’m careful to start with a very clean container and always add a splash of vodka to help extend it. Cheers!

  25. Hi Marissa- Do you know how long the Tonic syrup will keep in the fridge? Just wondering about storage life. My hubby and I love Gin & Tonics. Now I want to make your homemade tonic. So excited to try!

    • Hi Brenda,

      I wish I could say an exact amount of time, but I honestly don’t know. We’ve had ours in the fridge for a couple of months with no problem. To help it last as long as possible, be sure you start with a very clean container and splash in a little vodka at the end to extend it even longer. Cheers!

  26. Looks like a great recipe! Trying right now. Can I ask the reasoning behind cold maceration for the water and solid ingredients? Looking forward to the results!

    Cheers,
    K

    • Hi Kelly,

      We tried cooking the ingredients a few times and the citrus always tasted ‘cooked’. So we decided to try a cold extraction and really prefer the taste. If you give it a try, let me know what you think.

      Cheers!

  27. I just made this syrup and tried it out last night. I quite like it, but several of my friends find it too sour. I will probably try it again with half the citric acid and see what happens.

    You mention that the citric acid helps with the extraction and also with preservation; how did you decide on quantity? Think it’ll be ok to use half? Sugar is also a preservative, so if you start with a sterile jar, I’d expect the syrup to keep quite well. I’m pretty experienced with making and keeping different beverage syrups, and they usually keep for several months so long as you keep your container clean.

    • Hi Kelly – the amount of citric acid comes from several attempts at the recipe and finding the one that fits our tastes. I’d be more inclined to up the amount of simple syrup than to reduce the amount of citric acid – but, play with the recipe until it fits you. 😉 Cheers!

  28. Have you tried Anchor Distillery’s Junipero? It is, to me, the definitive gin. your tonic syrup recipe is fantastic.

  29. Oh Marissa…this stuff is heaven! I’ve been making a version of this for the last six months and I must say it makes the best G&T ever! I do like the bitter flavor profile of the cinchona so I use just a bit more and steep it in hot water (not boiling) to make a “tea” to extract the full flavor of it. Then I let it cool completely before adding the citric acid and the rest of the botanicals – I totally agree with the cold extract approach for the delicate parts!

  30. Did anyone find that theirs was was a bit bitter from the citrus? I know I followed the recipe exactly but it really made us pucker last night.

  31. Hi Marissa! Being a new food blogger, everything about your website and take on food inspires me. But especially this recipe! Do you have any idea how long it will be good for?

    • Hi Alyssa, and thank you! 😉 That’s a great question and I’m sorry that I don’t have an exact answer. The citric acid helps to preserve the tonic and adding a splash or two of Vodka should make it last even longer.

  32. Hi Marissa,

    I am about to make some tonic based on your recipe but I have cinchona powder and I was wondering how much to put in? I know cinchona can be dangerous if you use too much!

  33. Hello Marissa,

    Thanks for your recipe! I just made a batch and am “testing” it even now.

    The aromatics are amazing – I made a control G&T with Fever Tree and there’s no comparison. For my taste, though, the syrup is too sour (I assume I’m tasting the citric acid). I added about a teaspoon of 2:1 simple syrup to my drink, and that was (to me) a big improvement.

    To the folks asking about how long it keeps – I would suggest adding a splash of vodka (I added about 1/2 oz to the total quart-plus). I’ve been doing this with homemade grenadine (based on Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s recipe) and it keeps for months. I would expect the tonic syrup, with the citric acid, to keep at least as long.

    • Hi Stewart. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and that you’ve made it your own with a bit of added sweetness. Good note on the splash of vodka. Cheers!

  34. Hi,
    I stumbled across your website in the search of gift ideas for my partner.
    He is a Gin fanatic and has already been making his own tonic syrup but is just adding to store bought soda water. I wondered whether you make your own soda and whether you have done any comparisons/testing in relation to it??
    Like for example do you know if the Soda Stream soda water is any good or any better than store bought. Or if there are other ways you would recommend making your own soda??
    I had also seen the Perlini shaker but a friend who works in cocktails didn’t really say it was that great.
    Any advice would be appreciated. I see that Soda Stream has a version that has glass bottles which I much prefer. Don’t like the PET ones they have on the cheaper machines.
    Cheers
    Belinda

    • Hi Belinda,

      This is such a great question! My short answer (for our taste anyway) is, the more bubbly the better. We’ve tried many kinds and have settled on Talking Rain brand. I agree with you about glass vs. PET and I think a Soda Stream would probably work great! If you go that route, will you let me know how it is?

      Cheers!
      Marissa

  35. We are definitely making a version of this recipe, thanks. I just have a question as to how much this makes? We are thinking of making bottles G&T’s for xmas and want to make our own tonic.

  36. I chose this tonic recipe because Fever Tree Naturally Light Tonic Water is also my favorite off the shelf tonic water for gin and tonics. I also like that the recipe is fresh, “cold processed” and not cooked. We followed the recipe exactly and our syrup looks exactly like yours – a rich honey color. It has a WONDERFUL, REFRESHING flavor. Congrats! I’ll definitely make this again and again. I found the 1 Tablespoon to 2 oz. of sparking water to be a little strong, and I prefer 1 teaspoon or a little less to 2 oz. of sparking water. Or, for a refreshing non-gin drink, just 8 oz. of sparking water over ice with a Tablespoon of the tonic syrup (instead of my previous favorite, a wedge of lime). I made my sparking water with filtered tap water and a sodastream. This is a blue ribbon recipe! Genius!

  37. You listed the ingredients and then said they should be combined into one mason jar. In your narrative you stated you made it two ways, so do I need more than 3 limes, 3 lemons, and 2 oranges to make one recipe or both recipes?

    • Hi Brian,

      I tried it two different ways and ended up combining them. The combination of the two was perfect! The recipe represents that combination. So you’ll just need the one jar / one recipe. Cheers!

  38. hi!
    i’d love to try making this, but I’m looking at replacing the fresh lemongrass with dried. I’m wondering if you have any idea about proportions for that replacement.

    thanks!

    • That’s a great question. Typically the ratio for fresh vs. dried herbs is: 1 Tbs fresh = 1 tsp dried. If you finely chop 3 trimmed stalks of lemongrass, you’ll get about 2 tablespoons of stalk, so I would guess 2 teaspoons dried. (I sound like a math teacher giving a word problem. 🙂 – Let me know how it goes! Cheers!

  39. Would there be any difference between using cinchona powder vs. the cut bark? Have you played around with any other botanicals/flavorings like grains of paradise, black pepper, mint, etc?

    I just ordered some cut bark and can’t wait to make this!

    • Hi Matt,

      I’ve made it with both the powder and the cut bark. Honestly, I like the bark better. If you use powder, you’ll want to run it through a coffee filter a few times to minimize grit. Grains of paradise and black pepper sound interesting – I’m not sure about mint. I fear that it would overpower the other botanicals.

      Let me know how it goes. Cheers!

  40. Hi Marissa,
    I’m on a mission to make my own tonic after enjoying homemade tonic in a gin and tonic in two different bars in the SF Bay area. I just finished making a batch of tonic with your recipe! It took me a week to gather all of the ingredients! I used semi-dry lavender flowers from the back yard, I hope that’s OK. In another 72 hours I plan to have a delightful gin and tonic! I can’t wait and my wife is excited to enjoy it too!
    Cheers!
    Jim

  41. Last night I went to a restaurant/bar/lab joint in Montreal called Le Slang. The barman was a magician with his hundreds of cocktails. Hubby and I are absolute gin fans so we asked him to make us the very best gin and tonic (hubby ended up having 3 different ones!) and he used his friend’s special homemade tonic. Well…. needless to say, I am now on a mission to create my own! Having no clue what to do, I googled and found this fabulous site. I am so trying yours so I thank you!

  42. Of course I was skeptical about this, even though it was the recipe I decided was likely best of the ones I found on the wierdworldweb.
    Well, now I have several bottles of Fever Tree that will be sitting about for some time to come.
    Aesthetically, I’m not sure about the idea of having tonic with color to it, but that’s because of the world of artificially induced nonsenses that surrounded us. On the other hand, the taste is by far the best! I’m not sure what it means, but I have to give this recipe all five of the available stars!

  43. Question first, accolades following. How long, on average, does this recipe keep? I use tonic water as a natural alternative to drugs for restless leg syndrome (which, trust me, is a very real thing!). I love the flavor of tonic water on it’s own or with gin but I doubt, drinking it by myself for medicinal purposes, that I’d go through it quickly.

    For anyone who’s curious, the quinine in tonic water takes care of RLS symptoms toot sweet and without any side effects that I’ve noticed. Pair that up with the beneficial and calming properties of the lavender and the other botanicals and this is quite the “tonic”. Thanks so much for the work that went into formulating this recipe!

    • Great question on the refrigerator life – I don’t have an exact amount of time, but the citric acid helps to preserve it. I recommend making just enough to last a month or two.

  44. I got distracted after I mixed it up and put it in the fridge…. I wonder how it will be after 5 days in there?

    • Hi Katrine,

      We usually drink Crater Lake Gin – it’s distilled locally here in Bend, Oregon. I like it because it’s very juniper-forward. We drink Dry Fly Gin too, also very good.

      Cheers!

  46. I am anxious to try your recipe for tonic water. Is the lavender used in the recipe culinary lavender or lavender oil?

    • Hi Rachel, that’s great!! I don’t know the official shelf-life, but it usually takes us a few months to go through it. Keep it refrigerated (of course 🙂

  48. I love this! Tonic is usually too sweet for me (even the nicer ones) but I enjoy the dry bitterness and additional notes in combination with a good gin. Now I’ve just got to get my hands on some cinchona bark…

  50. Marissa I am beginning to believe that you and Keith are kindred spirits of my wife and me. Although we have never met – it is scary sometimes when I read your writings how close they parallel things we have done, tried or want to try.

    The latest example… Tonic Water! Although we never have gone to the length the two of you have to find the perfect concoction to mix with my favorite alcoholic beverage – Gin – last summer we went through multiple offerings of tonic in search of the perfect balance. Your favorite store bought tonic, Fever Tree, came in second with our household selecting “Q” tonic number one.

    My favorite Gin drinks:

    1) Bottle of Blue Sapphire with a cap full of Roses Lime poured in the bottle placed in the freezer for couple weeks. Served Neat (Beefeaters is a nice substitute for those who like their juniper to say HELLO with every sip)

    2) One you already covered… A Vesper – so fine!

    Off Ramp (sorry) Lillet! It used to be called Kina Lillet – when re-introduced in the 80s it was just Lillet Blanc because the removed the Kina (Cinchona Bark). The original Vesper called for Kina Lillet – Hmmmmm another experiment in the future?

    3) Classic Gimlet (Maybe a homemade Roses Lime or Lime Simple Syrup recipe is in order for Pinch and Swirl)

    4) Classic Martini (Lightly Shaken! Too many beat it up by shaking until the liquid no longer pours perfectly clear, but a cloudy haze of oxygen and melted ice spoil the drink)

    5) And rounding the top 5 – A Gin Tonic!

    I must admit with all of our travels to the Caribbean, I have come to like a Rum and Tonic (or as they are called in the Virgin Islands – A Dark and Tonic) better. I would love for you to try your gourmet tonic with some Mount Gay or Cruzan Rum. (Remember Dark and No Spice Crap)

    If you ever decide to plow into a new libation – try aged Rums! Boy do I have a drink to share with you!

    Keep up the good work!

    • Wow, Colo – where to begin? Yes, I’ve thought the same about you both – we need to plan a getaway sometime. And thank you for sharing your favorites – two notes: I’ve never considered rum and tonic, we’ll try that and homemade lime syrup, yes, great idea!

  54. I find that my friends are either firmly on the gin train or totally off it (in which case they are on the vodka train). Personally, GIN PLEASE. This is a super interesting experiment–and I definitely know a couple more amateur mixologists who are going to be excited to hear about it!

Trackbacks

  2. […] the damn tonic water. i looked over a couple of the most popular recipes (again) and decided on this one from the pinch and swirl blog—mostly because it said that the tonic syrup “had to be […]

  4. […] I think it’ll be fun to try a few other recipes. For example, I’m really intrigued by this one, especially since they recommend against boiling the syrup and in addition to the fresh lemongrass […]

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