A Tonic Sampler

[Rex_Tremende]

Until Kerr the Walker said...

For gin and tonic, Fever Tree tonic water is where my money goes.

...I never had considered the idea that I should look for specialty tonic. For me it's always been a choice between Canada Dry and Schweppes - whatever was available at the grocery store.

So, last weekend on the way home from Summerfair, I stopped at The Party Source to replenish my supply of rum. Vodka and gin, it turned out, too. While I was in the vicinity of the tonic section, I noticed some tonic varietals.

I bought one of each that I saw on the shelf and decided that I was going to give them a taste-test, completely non-scientific and not blind - here's my review in the order I sampled them. In all cases I made them with Seagram's gin and a small wedge of lime accompanied by a slice or two of imported parmesan cheese on the side.

1. Q Tonic
   What It Says on the Label: Imagine if you could start over. And make your favorite drink even better. Well, we spent years creating a tonic water that does just that. We began with handpicked Peruvian quinine, just like when tonic water was invented back in 1825. Then for a gentle roundness we lightly sweetened Q Tonic with organic agave, not loads of high fructose corn syrup. We topped it off with champagne carbonation, for just the right thing. We've come up with a superior tonic water. One that tastes like tonic water should and is better for you, with 60% fewer calories and all natural ingredients.
   Ingredients: Triple Purified Water, Organic Agave, Handpicked Quinine, Lemon Juice Extract, Natural Bitters.
   My Assessment: Well, I didn't know you could pick quinine per se, since it's really an extract, and the claim of tonic's invention in 1825 is a little dubious. I was skeptical. But I sipped it out of the bottle and it reminded me of Perrier a bit. Dry, delicate, minerally. In the glass it stood out of the way of the gin, and for the first time I think I tasted the complexity of Seagram's in a gin-and-tonic. Very nice.
   
   
2. Stirrings
   What It Says on the Label: Stirrings all-natural Tonic Water is made with triple-filtered water, Cinchona Bark extract, a bit of cane sugar and is infused with "Champagne-like" carbonation. The result is a cleaner, crisper, lighter and brighter soda that makes cocktails taste better.
   Ingredients: Triple-filtered Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Cinchona Bark Extract
   My Assessment: Out of the bottle it also had a mineral water taste, though a little sweeter and there was a - je ne seis quois - heavy roundness to it that I felt came from the sugar. The bubbles were indeed delicate. I had high hopes for this one. But in the glass, it obscured the taste of the gin and the whole cocktail ended up tasting like a lot of nothing. Neither good nor bad. Just a fizzy drink. With a kick.
   
   
3. Fentimans
   What It Says on the Label: We, the Fentiman family have been brewing botanical beverages for almost 100 years, using only the best milled roots, finest herbs and natural flavourings in our draughts. 'Fearless,' Thomas Fentiman's prize Alsatian and our company logo, is testament to the fact that you can't teach an old dog new tricks when it comes to producing superior refreshment.
   Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Citric Acid, Natural Tonic Flavor with Herbal Extracts, Quinine.
   My Assessment: What? Quinine IS tonic flavor! Well, whatever. Unlike the first two, this one didn't taste at all like mineral water. More like photo developing solution. Very sweet photo developing solution. There was something very chemically about it, and it nearly ruined my drink. Thank goodness I pour my G&T's heavy on the gin.
   
   
4. Canada Dry - my usual
   What It Says on the Label: WARNING! CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE. CAP MAY BLOW OFF CAUSING EYE OR OTHER SERIOUS INJURY. POINT AWAY FROM FACE AND PEOPLE ESPECIALLY WHILE OPENING.
   Ingredients: Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup and/or Sugar, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Quinine.
   My Assessment: Gin soda-pop. Gawd, that's sweet! Now I see it.

So, hands down, the winner of this taste test is Q Tonic. Unfortunately, one 6.3 fl. oz. bottle costs about as much as one liter of Canada Dry, but I may have to switch anyway.

Available Nutrition Information:

• Q-tonic: Serving size 5 fl. oz./147 ml; calories 24; Total fat 0; Sodium 6mg; Total Carbs 7g; sugars 7g; protein 0g
  
• Canada Dry: Serving size 8 fl. oz /240 ml (really?); calories 90; Total fat 0; Sodium 15mg; Total Carbs 24g; sugars 23g; protein 0g

Regards,
Rex.

[Panache]

I just love you Rex...





Cheers

Jamie :ootd:

[Panache]

Rex,

Do you notice any difference between Canada Dry and Schweppes?

Cheers

Jamie ith:

[Aldisimo]

Looks like XMarksthePub is back ...

[Rex_Tremende]

Do you notice any difference between Canada Dry and Schweppes?

In the few times that I've tried Schweppes, no, not all that much, though for some reason I'm more - or rather I've been more brand loyal to C.D.

Now that I've had a taste of something better (and worse), I might pick up a bottle of Schweppes next time and give it another go.

Regards,
Rex.

[The Guy in the Kilt at UC]

Thanks for the thread. I love the drink. I've heard of Q tonic before, but couldn't justify the expense. I guess I'll have to go through my 2 remaining liters of CD when finals are over. That way I can go out and get the Q.

Cheers

[The Guy in the Kilt at UC]

BTW has anyone looked at tonic under a black light. It glows. Quinine has what's called luminescent quantum yield making it react to (UV) light.

Fun science experiment for the interested.

[Rex_Tremende]

BTW has anyone looked at tonic under a black light. It glows. Quinine has what's called luminescent quantum yield making it react to (UV) light.

Fun science experiment for the interested.

I think the last time I ran that experiment was about two years ago at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Fun stuff!

Regards,
Rex.

[Fougasse]

A serendipitous thread; here I am sipping a well-earned Bombay and Schweppes on a Friday evening. Having been mostly concerned with the provenance of my gin I didn't dwell too much on the quality of the mixer; a big mistake it seems. I am horrified to find that Schweppes, like Canada Dry, contains high-fructose corn syrup. Looks like a bit of field research is now required!

[kevinkinney]

Hello Rex, et all.

I came across a bottle of your favorite at our last Burns Supper. I noticed the improvement over my standard Schweppes immediately. Sadly, it was carried in by a patron who stocked it for himself, not locally available.

Kevin.