“Here, see if you can make me something with this”, the liquor rep taunted as he dropped a bottle of aquavit on the bar. If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I don’t really work that well under pressure. I try, but it literally takes me weeks to come up with a new drink that I’m happy with. Maybe I’m slow, maybe I’m a perfectionist, doesn’t matter: I hate it when I have to work under pressure.
So I was especially vexed when this particular wiseass handed me a bottle of aquavit. For those of you who don’t know, is a traditional Scandinavian liquor flavored with caraway and - typically - other herbs such as fennel and anise. It’s delicious, but it’s unique and isn’t known for its superb mixability.
However, I knew the liquor boob was insinuating that I might not be able to rise to the challenge, so I whipped this up (after about three false starts). A small handful of visitors to the bar at Clyde Common have suggested that it might be one of the best drinks I’ve come up with so far, but I’ll let you be the judge of that. I just think it tastes delicious.
1 oz aquavit
1 oz applejack
¾ oz sweet vermouth
¼ oz yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Angostura bitters
Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with a large twist of lemon peel and serve.
My problem with homemade tonic water has always been a flavor profile that was too esoteric for the general audience. This recipe takes some of the positive qualities people have come to understand from commercial tonic water and updated them with fresh ingredients.
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The problem with living in Oregon is the absence of little wooden shacks by the sea that sell cases of fresh ginger beer stacked on back porches. But with some readily-available ingredients, a recipe I've been revising for several years - and a few free minutes - I can easily transport myself to a little fishing boat on the ocean as I sip a Dark and Stormy made with fresh, house-made ginger beer.
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Not to be confused with the Spanish wine-and-fruit-based alcoholic beverage sangria, sangrita (meaning "little blood") is a traditional accompaniment to a tequila served completo; a non-alcoholic sipper that cleanses the palate between fiery doses of agave.
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About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the head bartender at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon.
I'm 37, I've been tending bar since 1996 and writing about it since 2004. Mixing drinks has become something of a passion for me in recent years, and I strive to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary.
The writing I do here is intended as a work in progress. My recipes are like my opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as I work them through my mind and my fingers. Comments and participation are encouraged, so please don't feel the need to tread lightly here.
This subject has been covered many timesbefore, but after numerous requests and some positive encouragement from a good friend this weekend I have decided to post my version of homemade tonic water.
The base for this recipe came from my friend Kevin Ludwig, who pioneered craft tonic water in Portland. His recipe can be found on page 76 of the March/April 2007 issue of Imbibe Magazine. This version is all mine.
My problem with homemade tonic water has always been a flavor profile that was too esoteric for the general audience. This recipe takes some of the positive qualities people have come to understand from commercial tonic water and updated them with fresh ingredients.
4 cups water
1 cup chopped lemongrass (roughly one large stalk)
¼ cup powdered cinchona bark
zest and juice of 1 orange
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tsp whole allspice berries
¼ cup citric acid
¼ tsp Kosher salt
Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once mixture starts to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Cinchona Bark
Try a few different suppliers for powdered cinchona bark to see which you like best. Tenzing Momo has great products as a rule, but their cinchona can often be floral, which may or may not work for you. You can also find cinchona from bulk herbal medicine retailers and other specialty herb shops. I find the yellow variety to be milder than the red, so adding too many other flavors to the mix can overpower the quinine. Adjust your recipes accordingly.
Remove from heat and strain out solids using a strainer or chinois. You’ll need to fine-strain the mixture, as it still contains quite a bit of the cinchona bark. You can use a coffee filter and wait for an hour or more, or do as I do and run the whole mixture through a French coffee press.
Once you’re satisfied with the clarity of your mix, heat it back up on the stovetop or microwave, and then add ¾ cup of agave syrup to each cup of your hot mix. Stir until combined, and store in the attractive bottle of your choice.
You now have a syrup that you can carbonate with seltzer water; I use my iSi soda siphon for some nicely-textured bubbles. To assemble a gin and tonic, use ¾ ounce of syrup, 1½ ounces of gin and 2 ounces of soda water over ice.
Once you’ve mastered your own tonic recipe, you can begin to experiment with different spices and fruit flavors to pair with specific gins. For instance, I’ve found that beefing up the orange peel results in a tonic that pairs nicely with Hendrick’s, but try playing off the coriander or cardamom in other gins and see what happens.
Comments
80 Responses to “How to Make Your Own Tonic Water”
I haven’t kept any around long enough to tell, but if you slipped a healthy splash of vodka into each bottle as a preservative, it should last a good long while.
Note that this will preclude using your syrup as a non-alcoholic beverage, though.
By your recommendations, I think I might play with the quantities of sour citrus/lemongrass and pair with another citrus-forward Gin like 209 perhaps…any suggestions in this department?
Chris, I think with a big, muscle-y, citrusy gin like No. 209 you could cut down on the fruit in the tonic water and beef up a little spice. Try an additional half cup of lemongrass, drop the orange, swap the lemon out for a second lime, and throw a star anise in there. See what happens!
Eugenia, hope to see you soon.
David, thank you. Lemoncello is coming, I promise.
Scott, drop a line here in the comments section and let us know how it turns out!
Jeff
29 May 2008 at 8:20 am 11. mary
i am looking for some suggestions…i like sweet drinks but im tired of the same old stuff…i drink white Russians…could you rec amend some other sweet drinks? thanks
This all looks wonderful, Jeffrey, but it would be much more simple if you just made the syrups and gave them to me. I’m sure I could never create it as perfectly as you do.
Jeff, you’d be surprised at just how well you can make this on your own. It’s honestly that simple.
29 May 2008 at 10:18 am 15. Mark Chu-Carroll
In the recipe, you specify 1/4 cup of the powdered cinchona bark, but all of the vendors that I can find sell it by the ounce. About how much do I need for a batch of syrup?
29 May 2008 at 10:29 am 16. Rob Combs
Howdy-Ho, Jeffanator
I appreciate you tuning me on to making my own tonic. Fun stuff. I’m on my seventh batch of tonic water & I think I’m getting closer. Some interesting spices that I think work well are:
- Grains of Paradice,
- Green Cardamon,
- Corriander
I pulsed the spices in a spice grinder a few times to extract more flavor out of the seeds.
So you should add ‘mind reader’ to your list of qualifications. For the No. 209 pairing, those tweaks were almost exactly what I was thinking (though I’ll admit star anise didn’t spring to mind).
Nice recipe, mine (http://www.tristanstephenson.com/wordpress/2008/01/03/tonic-water-recipe/) is similar but I don’t use the juice as shortens the lifespan of the syrup a lot. Lemongrass sounds cool though!
Salt? Does that work? I’m thinking of the old trick of adding salt to tonic and it tasting sweeter, because it diverts your attention from the bitterness… Personally I want that bitterness in my tonic. Agave syrup sounds cool too…
29 May 2008 at 8:43 pm 23. Chris W
Thanks for this recipe Jeff. I’ve recently bought a juicer to make ginger beer, and now I guess I’ll need to get a soda siphon to make my own tonic. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while but hadn’t found a good recipe until now.
Two questions, though. First, is agave syrup readily available? I’m not familiar with that ingredient. Second, in the G&T recipe, is it 3/4 oz of carbonated syrup and then 2oz of regular soda water, or 3/4 oz of the non-carbonated syrup and then 2oz of the carbonated version. Sorry, I’m confused about which is which.
Thanks again, can’t wait to try this!
29 May 2008 at 9:23 pm 24. ConnorH
Is cinchona the source of quinine? I find that diet tonic–which does contain a bit of quinine–keeps my legs from cramping at night. Nothing else works. Quinine is on the “prescription drug” list and it apparently has a myriad of nasty sice effects. But diet tonic works for me–homeopathic, I guess.
30 May 2008 at 1:13 am 25. Scott
Chris,
I’ve been able to find agave syrup a couple places, including BevMo! and Whole Foods Market. I’m sure you could find it at a more upscale supermarket in your area.
Tristan - Nice recipe you’ve got there yourself! I, of course, don’t have a problem with the shelf-life of a syrup containing fruit juice, but I’m making twenty gins-and-tonics a night.
The salt may mute the bitterness a tad, but it helps bring out all of the other flavors. It’s still nice and bitter.
Chris W - That’s ¾ oz of syrup to 2 oz of carbonated water. You should find agave to pretty common, they’ve even got it in the bulk section of my neighborhood grocery store.
Honey is going to bring a lot of flavor to the party, but you could definitely give it a shot. I don’t know how much you’d use, but I would start with ½ cup in place of the ¾ cup of agave syrup.
Ok, so Citrus Tonic #1 is complete, by the following recipe:
4 Cups: Water
1 1/4 Cups: Lemongrass, julienned
Zest & juice of 2 Limes
1/2 whole Star Anise
1/4 Cup: powdered cinchona bark
1/4 Cup: Citric Acid
1/2 Tsp: whole allspice berries
1/4 Tsp: whole Cardamom pods, bruised
1/4 Tsp: Kosher Salt
————
As a stand-alone Tonic water, not so awesome - a little too heavy on the bitter/sour side of the spectrum. It gets a little more manageable with an extra splash of seltzer.
When I made a G&T with the last of my Distillery 209 Gin (& the extra spalsh of seltzer) however, it came out wonderfully! Didn’t need to add a squeeze of Lime to the drink & the anise and Cardamom came through on the finish alongside the various botanicals of the gin.
All in all, pretty excellent - though I’m going to fiddle with some of the proportions - maybe a touch less lime, sub back in some lemon.
It’s funny - I’ve been looking for Aviation for a little while now but to no avail (who distributes that outside of Oregon, more specifically to the greater NJ/NY area?).
I’m sadly also at a loss for more #209 - probably should’ve scaled the Tonic recipe down a bit as I’ve now got a big bottle of tonic, but no more 209 left to mix it with.
On the creamy v. bitter/sour note - the tonic mixes passably well with Plymouth - the ‘velvety’ character of it does kind of what your saying. Sadly, the flavor of it gets a little bit overpowered - not bad, but not quite what the 209 mix was. I’m wondering how a Genever would fare here - I’ll check that out next.
I don’t know about their distributorship, but you might check their website.
I can see Plymouth going well with your recipe. I’ve got a bottle Genever here at home, so I might have to bring it to work tomorrow night to test it with my own.
On a side-note, the folks that produce Aviation tell me that they intended for it to be a Genever-style gin, so you might be on to something with your experiments. Let us know how you fare!
We tried the tonic recipe–so refreshing on a hot day! But a weird thing: If we put the soda on the syrup it foams up like crazy, but syrup into soda was no problem.
I should have mentioned this in the original post, because you’re right, the mixture will foam up if you blast carbonated water directly into the syrup.
An old bartender’s trick is this: squirt the soda water into your cocktail shaker (or any other vessel) and then slowly pour the carbonated water into the glass containing the syrup. Voila, no more foam.
This trick is essential when making drinks like the Ramos Fizz, when squirting soda water directly into the glass would result in egg foam all over yourself and the bar (and undoubtedly your customers)
Thanks for writing.
13 Jun 2008 at 9:14 am 36. ingi
Where can I find cinchona bark? Is there a website where one can buy online?
Thank
15 Jun 2008 at 5:37 pm 37. Kevin
Great recipe… I haven’t tried this yet, but do you think running the cooled down base through a Brita water filter would kill the taste?
Kevin
15 Jun 2008 at 5:54 pm 38. Kevin
And for Ingi… this is where I and a few others I know have purchased cinchona…
I don’t know, but as much of the point of a Brita is to filter out impurities, I can see it removing much of the flavor. Only one way to find out, though.
And thanks for the link, it’s good to have more options and that price looks quite reasonable.
28 Jul 2008 at 6:22 pm 40. Andrew
I’m a bit confused as to how you’re carbonating the tonic. Do you add water and syrup to a soda siphon, or do you keep the syrup in a separate bottle and simply add soda from the gun?
Seriously, though, you could do both. I keep my soda and syrup separate for this one, but that’s just my personal preference. There’s no reason why you couldn’t fill your iSi soda siphon with the right proportions and go.
29 Jul 2008 at 1:55 pm 42. Andrew
Jeffery,
Batch one following your recipe turned out pretty darn good. Nice call on the French press, all other stories of homemade tonic I’ve encountered involve hours of slow straining.
Batch two is on the stove now and aimed towards the cucumber notes of 12 Bridges gin. I cut back on the citrus and allspice, bumped up the lemongrass and added dried lavender.
I’ll let y’all know how it turns out after my shift tonight. With a little luck, I can convince my managers to start putting house-made tonic on the menu.
Yay, I just finished my first batch based on your recipe. *sip*
The only thing I’m a bit surprised by is the filtering. I expected it would be a hassle, but it’s pretty remarkably how suspended in solution all the bark particles still are even hours and hours later.
I tried the French press, but the liquid is still opaque. I tried coffee filters, which, as you suggest, are mostly useless. Are you seeing different results with the French press, or do you settle for an opaque syrup?
Kolbe - I settle for a slightly opaque syrup. If there are particles still in suspension, I don’t consider it a major cosmetic flaw, and by the time you water it down with gin and soda, the particles become pretty much negligible.
03 Aug 2008 at 10:30 pm 46. Chris Hansen
Jeffrey, thanks for the recipe! It turned out really nicely for me and I’m looking forward to sharing it with my friends. I’m sipping my second G&T, this one with Rogue spruce gin–a nice complement.
I do find that the allspice makes it a little too..yule-tidy for my taste. Is it needed to mellow the bitter of the quinine? Do you have a suggestion for a substitute?
Hey Chris Hansen - You know the rules around here. Don’t like the allspice? Leave it out. Seriously, you could try juniper berries, cardamom, coriander, whatever you like. Just be sure to come back and report your findings here.
10 Aug 2008 at 7:57 pm 48. Tom
I worked up a derivative of this recipe. It turned out tasting almost tea-like, which took a couple G&Ts to get used to, but the added nuance was appreciated. I’m going to throw in some juniper berries next to see how if accents the juniper in my gin. I left out the lemongrass, orange and allspice in my first recipe.
One thing I wasn’t ready for was the lack of sweetener in it. The store bought tonics contain loads more sugar than I realized, so I’m going to make up a batch of the simple syrup to add.
Once you’re satisfied with the clarity of your mix, heat it back up on the stovetop or microwave, and then add ¾ cup of agave syrup to each cup of your hot mix. Stir until combined, and store in the attractive bottle of your choice.
12 Aug 2008 at 1:11 am 50. Tom
I ended up liking leaving it out, as I could easily flavor the sweetness, depending on my mood/food. I just got done making the tonic recipe again, and didn’t go through with the sweetener, preferring to add it as needed.
One thing I don’t understand is if the purpose of the citric acid is to act as a flavoring agent to give the tonic ‘bite’, or if it’s there for it’s preservative qualities.
It’s been a long time since you made it for me, but I just have to reiterate how amazing this tonic water recipe makes a gin and tonic. The drink Jeffrey made me in New Orleans was easily the best G&T I’ve ever had.
Can any of you help me with a good recipe for 12 bridges gin?
We made it just to drink out of a glass and I’ve been asked to make a cocktail. I’m a distiller, not a mixologist!
Rich
13 Aug 2008 at 7:28 am 54. Mark C. Chu-Carroll
So - as someone who has not typically liked G&T in the past, but loves the taste of this tonic, can you recommend a good beginners gin, for up to $50/bottle?
Mark - Try Rich’s (above) 12 Bridges, Aviation, Martin Miller’s, Beefeater, Plymouth, Hendricks, Tanqueray No. 10, or wait it out and see what everyone else has to say!
13 Aug 2008 at 6:24 pm 56. Mark C. Chu-Carroll
Interestingly, I actually have a bottle of Tanqueray #10. I picked it up a few months back for cooking - I had a recipe that called for a gin-based marinade. I didn’t realize when I bought it that the #10 was anything different - just needed a marinade for a steak, and tanqueray was a familiar brand.
I just gave it a try; interesting. Not my favorite - but I can definitely see why it’s so traditional with the tonic. It blends nicely with the bitterness, and really brings out the citrus. But the cardamom that I put in my tonic clashes with it - too much citrus with the spice of the cardamom.
12 Sep 2008 at 5:50 pm 57. Blaise
I Just made this for a dinner party tonight after the hostess bemoaned the fact that all the tonic waters had high fructose corn syrup and she was craving a G&T. I used 1 cup of organic evaporated cane juice instead of the agave, and have just sampled a pre-party G&T. (Tanqueray #10). Oh boy, is it delicious! (Obviously, still sampling…)
thanks jeffrey, the tonic turned out better than expected. i ran it as a special paired with hendricks last night and received nothing but fantastic feedback. also really enjoyed it with the m millers westbourne. good luck with the move to cc.
05 Feb 2009 at 1:11 am 61. Tom
As far as gin is concerned, I really like the flavor of the Cascade Mountain gin. It’s made in Oregon and flavored with wild juniper berries. I prefer it over the gins I’ve had (aviation, beefeater, hendricks, a few others).
About 9 months after my first Bel Ami House G&T, I’m finally making my first batch of tonic. Excited.
30 Mar 2009 at 8:13 am 63. The Concierge
I am planning on making this on Friday after work. I am concerned with preserving it for as long as possible.
Thus, I plan on storing half in freezer. However, doesn’t the citric acid preserve the mixture for about six weeks in the fridge?
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
12 Apr 2009 at 7:52 pm 64. The Concierge
Jeff,
Thanks for posting all of this information. I made the recipe, using a metal strainer, followed by a french press. The french press seemed to remove very little compared to the amount still left in suspension. I was left with a maroon colored liquid prior to adding the agave. What is the color of your liquid before adding the agave? Do I have the right color or is there another way to make it more clear?
Btw, I used cinchona bark from tenzing momo like you used.
Also, coffee filters were pretty much useless to break out the powder left.
@The Concierge
I used a coffee press as well. I usually stop after that, then let it settle overnight. After that, I just decant and pour as I go, and don’t worry about the solids at the bottom.
13 Apr 2009 at 11:47 am 66. The Concierge
Thanks Tom. I have a reddish batch sans agave sitting in my fridge. After it settles, I plan on just pouring off the top and discard the liquid holding most of the powder on the bottom.
Looking more closely at Jeff’s G&T pictured above, it is possible that the reddish color of the tonic liquid prior to the adding of agave is consistent with the recipe since the G&T has lots of clear liquid lightening the color of the drink.
16 Apr 2009 at 3:13 am 67. cordwainer
Boodles gin (if you can find it) is fantastic with this. It’s my favorite; thank you Travis McGee :-)
12 May 2009 at 2:21 pm 68. wgbar
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Has anyone tried sweeting the tonic with Stevia?
Thanks!
16 May 2009 at 9:48 pm 69. JC
I bought all the ingredients and am ready to go - except I don’t have a soda siphon. Is there any way to make this without spending $70 on that?
JC - Get yourself a seventy-nine cent bottle of club soda and add two ounces of the stuff to three quarters of an ounce of syrup and two ounces of gin. Squeeze some lime on top, with ice, of course, and you should be fine.
18 May 2009 at 10:06 pm 71. Joe
After much searching I found a place that sells cinchona and is not out of stock. They disclaim, however, that this product is for research or collecting purposes only and is not for human consumption (I do not actually collect powdered bark, and if I did it would be cinnamon). They appear to have these disclaimers on things that are(or are similar to) prescription or restricted drugs. But I’m not entirely secure about the stuff now.
29 May 2009 at 10:01 pm 72. Joe
So, it turns out that the aforementioned disclaimer is solely due to the cinchona itself and not any adulterants or whatnot, so we’re go. I’ve got a batch cooking now with some juniper, cardamom and lavender in addition to the listed ingredients.
03 Jun 2009 at 1:18 pm 73. Sam Tannahill
Jeffery,
Any place to get cinchona in Portland???
Thanks!
Sam
03 Jun 2009 at 6:16 pm 74. caver01
Well, after a year, I finally made this. I was never a fan of gin and tonic, but I have to say, this has changed my mind. One stalk of lemongrass (in MN) was only enough for a half recipe. I filtered ten times through paper towels before using a coffee filter with good results. Now, I love a gin and tonic using Tanqueray Rangpur. Wonderful and refreshing! Thanks, Jeff!
04 Jun 2009 at 8:12 am 75. Snowpea
I am planning on making this; I finally got my bark powder and just need to fetch some lemongrass and find me some time.
My question: I wonder if anybody’s tried using their espresso machine to extract the quinine, or would that just gum up the works in my machine…?
13 Jun 2009 at 9:30 am 76. Snowpea
I was too nervous to try my espresso machine, so I divvied up the powder into two coffee filters, which I twisted up and tied with kitchen string.
Still lots of filtering to do (one tore a bit so I had to transfer the mud to another filter packet), but it’s coming along nicely. Next time, I will try to located make-your-own tea bags.
13 Jun 2009 at 9:31 am 77. Snowpea
(arg, make that “locate”, please)
13 Jun 2009 at 2:03 pm 78. Snowpea
Well, Houston, we have touch-down.
I just served my significant other and me a couple of G&Ts using Jeffrey’s recipe (sans citric acid).
We’ve been using the spottily available Q Tonic (not great market penetration in Canada yet), but this is another animal altogether! Wow. Just… WOW
We love it.
23 Jun 2009 at 1:39 pm 79. Herr Grau
Howdy,
I just made my first batch..
Needed a lot more agave syrup (a little more than a cup) to balance it out at least a little.
The allspice berrys smell like christmas, why are they in the recipe? I feel like it destroyed the whole fresh tonic water citrus odeur. Otherwise a realy nice recipe, thanks!
I’ve made about 6 batches of this so far, and I haven’t used exactly the same ingredients twice. I’m loving playing with it.
Most most interesting variation was adding pomegranate molasses instead of lemon juice. One of my lemons was unexpectedly rotten on the inside, so I went hunting for something else with a pleasant sour flavor. I saw the pomegranate molasses, and threw in a good-sized dollop, to approximate the amount of sourness from the lemon.
The result was interesting. Personally, I tend to prefer bourbon and tonic to gin and tonic; with bourbon, the pomegranate flavor really didn’t work. But with Tanq#10, it’s terrific.
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Try a few different suppliers for powdered cinchona bark to see which you like best. Tenzing Momo has great products as a rule, but their cinchona can often be floral, which may or may not work for you. You can also find cinchona from bulk herbal medicine retailers and other specialty herb shops. I find the yellow variety to be milder than the red, so adding too many other flavors to the mix can overpower the quinine. Adjust your recipes accordingly.
28 May 2008 at 6:33 am 1. JD
How long does the syrup stay fresh in the fridge?
Looks delicious - I’ll have to try this soon.
28 May 2008 at 7:46 am 2. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
I haven’t kept any around long enough to tell, but if you slipped a healthy splash of vodka into each bottle as a preservative, it should last a good long while.
Note that this will preclude using your syrup as a non-alcoholic beverage, though.
28 May 2008 at 11:32 am 3. Marleigh
So you’re going to bring samples of all your homemade goodies to Tales, right?
28 May 2008 at 11:36 am 4. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
For you, Marleigh, I will definitely bring a little suitcase of vials for you to try. Promise!
28 May 2008 at 5:09 pm 5. Rick
You have convinced me to add a soda siphon to my Amazon wish list (which means I’ll buy it shortly).
I’ll second Marleigh’s request for bring a treasure chest of fun to Tales.
28 May 2008 at 5:44 pm 6. Chris
Bloody fine-looking Tonic indeed!
By your recommendations, I think I might play with the quantities of sour citrus/lemongrass and pair with another citrus-forward Gin like 209 perhaps…any suggestions in this department?
Cheers!
28 May 2008 at 6:29 pm 7. Eugenia
Oh dear, if anything can flush me out of my reclusive bunker, it will be this!
28 May 2008 at 10:00 pm 8. David Hirsch
Hey Jeff,
Fine looking G&T. Best looking one I’ve seen.
You wouldn’t happen to have a lemoncello recipe would you?
David
29 May 2008 at 12:53 am 9. Scott
I just finished making an awesome mojito using your recipe. Now I have to go order some bark and try this one, since a G&T is my favourite drink.
29 May 2008 at 3:55 am 10. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Rick and Marleigh: It’s a done deal.
Chris, I think with a big, muscle-y, citrusy gin like No. 209 you could cut down on the fruit in the tonic water and beef up a little spice. Try an additional half cup of lemongrass, drop the orange, swap the lemon out for a second lime, and throw a star anise in there. See what happens!
Eugenia, hope to see you soon.
David, thank you. Lemoncello is coming, I promise.
Scott, drop a line here in the comments section and let us know how it turns out!
Jeff
29 May 2008 at 8:20 am 11. mary
i am looking for some suggestions…i like sweet drinks but im tired of the same old stuff…i drink white Russians…could you rec amend some other sweet drinks? thanks
29 May 2008 at 9:00 am 12. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Mary, try this and this.
29 May 2008 at 9:48 am 13. Jefffrane
This all looks wonderful, Jeffrey, but it would be much more simple if you just made the syrups and gave them to me. I’m sure I could never create it as perfectly as you do.
29 May 2008 at 9:58 am 14. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Jeff, you’d be surprised at just how well you can make this on your own. It’s honestly that simple.
29 May 2008 at 10:18 am 15. Mark Chu-Carroll
In the recipe, you specify 1/4 cup of the powdered cinchona bark, but all of the vendors that I can find sell it by the ounce. About how much do I need for a batch of syrup?
29 May 2008 at 10:29 am 16. Rob Combs
Howdy-Ho, Jeffanator
I appreciate you tuning me on to making my own tonic. Fun stuff. I’m on my seventh batch of tonic water & I think I’m getting closer. Some interesting spices that I think work well are:
- Grains of Paradice,
- Green Cardamon,
- Corriander
I pulsed the spices in a spice grinder a few times to extract more flavor out of the seeds.
You da man, Jeff.
29 May 2008 at 11:09 am 17. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Mark
Sorry about that. According to my digital scale, ¼ cup of cinchona bark is coming in right at one ounce.
Hope this helps!
29 May 2008 at 11:13 am 18. Bastian
Jeffrey,
if you bring some to New Orleans you might as well carry some to the Berlin Bar Convent…I’d love to sample the stuff;-)
29 May 2008 at 11:15 am 19. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Bastian
I’ll definitely do that!
29 May 2008 at 12:08 pm 20. Chris
So you should add ‘mind reader’ to your list of qualifications. For the No. 209 pairing, those tweaks were almost exactly what I was thinking (though I’ll admit star anise didn’t spring to mind).
I’ll give it a shot & post back with results…
Cheers & Thanks again!
29 May 2008 at 12:44 pm 21. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Chris - I’ll be sure to polish up the old resume. Let us know how it turns out!
29 May 2008 at 2:58 pm 22. Tristan
Nice recipe, mine (http://www.tristanstephenson.com/wordpress/2008/01/03/tonic-water-recipe/) is similar but I don’t use the juice as shortens the lifespan of the syrup a lot. Lemongrass sounds cool though!
Salt? Does that work? I’m thinking of the old trick of adding salt to tonic and it tasting sweeter, because it diverts your attention from the bitterness… Personally I want that bitterness in my tonic. Agave syrup sounds cool too…
29 May 2008 at 8:43 pm 23. Chris W
Thanks for this recipe Jeff. I’ve recently bought a juicer to make ginger beer, and now I guess I’ll need to get a soda siphon to make my own tonic. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while but hadn’t found a good recipe until now.
Two questions, though. First, is agave syrup readily available? I’m not familiar with that ingredient. Second, in the G&T recipe, is it 3/4 oz of carbonated syrup and then 2oz of regular soda water, or 3/4 oz of the non-carbonated syrup and then 2oz of the carbonated version. Sorry, I’m confused about which is which.
Thanks again, can’t wait to try this!
29 May 2008 at 9:23 pm 24. ConnorH
Is cinchona the source of quinine? I find that diet tonic–which does contain a bit of quinine–keeps my legs from cramping at night. Nothing else works. Quinine is on the “prescription drug” list and it apparently has a myriad of nasty sice effects. But diet tonic works for me–homeopathic, I guess.
30 May 2008 at 1:13 am 25. Scott
Chris,
I’ve been able to find agave syrup a couple places, including BevMo! and Whole Foods Market. I’m sure you could find it at a more upscale supermarket in your area.
30 May 2008 at 9:11 am 26. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Tristan - Nice recipe you’ve got there yourself! I, of course, don’t have a problem with the shelf-life of a syrup containing fruit juice, but I’m making twenty gins-and-tonics a night.
The salt may mute the bitterness a tad, but it helps bring out all of the other flavors. It’s still nice and bitter.
Chris W - That’s ¾ oz of syrup to 2 oz of carbonated water. You should find agave to pretty common, they’ve even got it in the bulk section of my neighborhood grocery store.
30 May 2008 at 9:12 am 27. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Oh, ConnorH - Cinchona is the source of the quinine, but I can’t speak as to any medical benefits. I’m not a doctor.
31 May 2008 at 6:05 pm 28. RMS
I’d love to try this with my new favourite gin — Bulldog!
I wonder if honey could be used instead of the agave syrup? Has anyone tried this recipe with honey? Thanks so much for sharing!!!
01 Jun 2008 at 10:41 am 29. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Honey is going to bring a lot of flavor to the party, but you could definitely give it a shot. I don’t know how much you’d use, but I would start with ½ cup in place of the ¾ cup of agave syrup.
Don’t forget to let us know how it turns out!
02 Jun 2008 at 6:31 pm 30. Chris
Ok, so Citrus Tonic #1 is complete, by the following recipe:
4 Cups: Water
1 1/4 Cups: Lemongrass, julienned
Zest & juice of 2 Limes
1/2 whole Star Anise
1/4 Cup: powdered cinchona bark
1/4 Cup: Citric Acid
1/2 Tsp: whole allspice berries
1/4 Tsp: whole Cardamom pods, bruised
1/4 Tsp: Kosher Salt
————
As a stand-alone Tonic water, not so awesome - a little too heavy on the bitter/sour side of the spectrum. It gets a little more manageable with an extra splash of seltzer.
When I made a G&T with the last of my Distillery 209 Gin (& the extra spalsh of seltzer) however, it came out wonderfully! Didn’t need to add a squeeze of Lime to the drink & the anise and Cardamom came through on the finish alongside the various botanicals of the gin.
All in all, pretty excellent - though I’m going to fiddle with some of the proportions - maybe a touch less lime, sub back in some lemon.
Cheers & Thanks again!
02 Jun 2008 at 6:34 pm 31. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Nice work, Chris! I think mine’s probably a little sweeter/fruitier with the orange I used (actually a Tangelo), so that explains it.
Have you tried yours with Aviation gin? I’d think that the creamy sweetness would offset the bitter/sourness in a pleasant way.
I look forward to hearing more!
Jeff
02 Jun 2008 at 8:43 pm 32. Chris
It’s funny - I’ve been looking for Aviation for a little while now but to no avail (who distributes that outside of Oregon, more specifically to the greater NJ/NY area?).
I’m sadly also at a loss for more #209 - probably should’ve scaled the Tonic recipe down a bit as I’ve now got a big bottle of tonic, but no more 209 left to mix it with.
On the creamy v. bitter/sour note - the tonic mixes passably well with Plymouth - the ‘velvety’ character of it does kind of what your saying. Sadly, the flavor of it gets a little bit overpowered - not bad, but not quite what the 209 mix was. I’m wondering how a Genever would fare here - I’ll check that out next.
Cheers!
02 Jun 2008 at 9:19 pm 33. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
I don’t know about their distributorship, but you might check their website.
I can see Plymouth going well with your recipe. I’ve got a bottle Genever here at home, so I might have to bring it to work tomorrow night to test it with my own.
On a side-note, the folks that produce Aviation tell me that they intended for it to be a Genever-style gin, so you might be on to something with your experiments. Let us know how you fare!
07 Jun 2008 at 4:41 pm 34. Deana
We tried the tonic recipe–so refreshing on a hot day! But a weird thing: If we put the soda on the syrup it foams up like crazy, but syrup into soda was no problem.
09 Jun 2008 at 10:00 am 35. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Deana
I should have mentioned this in the original post, because you’re right, the mixture will foam up if you blast carbonated water directly into the syrup.
An old bartender’s trick is this: squirt the soda water into your cocktail shaker (or any other vessel) and then slowly pour the carbonated water into the glass containing the syrup. Voila, no more foam.
This trick is essential when making drinks like the Ramos Fizz, when squirting soda water directly into the glass would result in egg foam all over yourself and the bar (and undoubtedly your customers)
Thanks for writing.
13 Jun 2008 at 9:14 am 36. ingi
Where can I find cinchona bark? Is there a website where one can buy online?
Thank
15 Jun 2008 at 5:37 pm 37. Kevin
Great recipe… I haven’t tried this yet, but do you think running the cooled down base through a Brita water filter would kill the taste?
Kevin
15 Jun 2008 at 5:54 pm 38. Kevin
And for Ingi… this is where I and a few others I know have purchased cinchona…
http://rain-tree.com/products/quinine-powder.htm
15 Jun 2008 at 10:32 pm 39. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Kevin
I don’t know, but as much of the point of a Brita is to filter out impurities, I can see it removing much of the flavor. Only one way to find out, though.
And thanks for the link, it’s good to have more options and that price looks quite reasonable.
28 Jul 2008 at 6:22 pm 40. Andrew
I’m a bit confused as to how you’re carbonating the tonic. Do you add water and syrup to a soda siphon, or do you keep the syrup in a separate bottle and simply add soda from the gun?
Thanks.
29 Jul 2008 at 12:58 am 41. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Andrew
Yes.
Seriously, though, you could do both. I keep my soda and syrup separate for this one, but that’s just my personal preference. There’s no reason why you couldn’t fill your iSi soda siphon with the right proportions and go.
29 Jul 2008 at 1:55 pm 42. Andrew
Jeffery,
Batch one following your recipe turned out pretty darn good. Nice call on the French press, all other stories of homemade tonic I’ve encountered involve hours of slow straining.
Batch two is on the stove now and aimed towards the cucumber notes of 12 Bridges gin. I cut back on the citrus and allspice, bumped up the lemongrass and added dried lavender.
I’ll let y’all know how it turns out after my shift tonight. With a little luck, I can convince my managers to start putting house-made tonic on the menu.
29 Jul 2008 at 2:00 pm 43. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Nice work, Andrew, and good luck!
02 Aug 2008 at 7:35 pm 44. Kolbe
Yay, I just finished my first batch based on your recipe. *sip*
The only thing I’m a bit surprised by is the filtering. I expected it would be a hassle, but it’s pretty remarkably how suspended in solution all the bark particles still are even hours and hours later.
I tried the French press, but the liquid is still opaque. I tried coffee filters, which, as you suggest, are mostly useless. Are you seeing different results with the French press, or do you settle for an opaque syrup?
03 Aug 2008 at 3:20 am 45. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Kolbe - I settle for a slightly opaque syrup. If there are particles still in suspension, I don’t consider it a major cosmetic flaw, and by the time you water it down with gin and soda, the particles become pretty much negligible.
03 Aug 2008 at 10:30 pm 46. Chris Hansen
Jeffrey, thanks for the recipe! It turned out really nicely for me and I’m looking forward to sharing it with my friends. I’m sipping my second G&T, this one with Rogue spruce gin–a nice complement.
I do find that the allspice makes it a little too..yule-tidy for my taste. Is it needed to mellow the bitter of the quinine? Do you have a suggestion for a substitute?
05 Aug 2008 at 12:57 pm 47. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Hey Chris Hansen - You know the rules around here. Don’t like the allspice? Leave it out. Seriously, you could try juniper berries, cardamom, coriander, whatever you like. Just be sure to come back and report your findings here.
10 Aug 2008 at 7:57 pm 48. Tom
I worked up a derivative of this recipe. It turned out tasting almost tea-like, which took a couple G&Ts to get used to, but the added nuance was appreciated. I’m going to throw in some juniper berries next to see how if accents the juniper in my gin. I left out the lemongrass, orange and allspice in my first recipe.
One thing I wasn’t ready for was the lack of sweetener in it. The store bought tonics contain loads more sugar than I realized, so I’m going to make up a batch of the simple syrup to add.
10 Aug 2008 at 8:01 pm 49. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Tom
I think you missed this crucial step:
12 Aug 2008 at 1:11 am 50. Tom
I ended up liking leaving it out, as I could easily flavor the sweetness, depending on my mood/food. I just got done making the tonic recipe again, and didn’t go through with the sweetener, preferring to add it as needed.
One thing I don’t understand is if the purpose of the citric acid is to act as a flavoring agent to give the tonic ‘bite’, or if it’s there for it’s preservative qualities.
12 Aug 2008 at 10:04 am 51. Dood
It’s been a long time since you made it for me, but I just have to reiterate how amazing this tonic water recipe makes a gin and tonic. The drink Jeffrey made me in New Orleans was easily the best G&T I’ve ever had.
12 Aug 2008 at 10:06 am 52. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Aw, Dood, that’s the best way I could have started my morning. Thanks!
And, Tom, the answer is yes.
12 Aug 2008 at 11:59 am 53. rich phillips
Can any of you help me with a good recipe for 12 bridges gin?
We made it just to drink out of a glass and I’ve been asked to make a cocktail. I’m a distiller, not a mixologist!
Rich
13 Aug 2008 at 7:28 am 54. Mark C. Chu-Carroll
So - as someone who has not typically liked G&T in the past, but loves the taste of this tonic, can you recommend a good beginners gin, for up to $50/bottle?
13 Aug 2008 at 11:26 am 55. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Mark - Try Rich’s (above) 12 Bridges, Aviation, Martin Miller’s, Beefeater, Plymouth, Hendricks, Tanqueray No. 10, or wait it out and see what everyone else has to say!
13 Aug 2008 at 6:24 pm 56. Mark C. Chu-Carroll
Interestingly, I actually have a bottle of Tanqueray #10. I picked it up a few months back for cooking - I had a recipe that called for a gin-based marinade. I didn’t realize when I bought it that the #10 was anything different - just needed a marinade for a steak, and tanqueray was a familiar brand.
I just gave it a try; interesting. Not my favorite - but I can definitely see why it’s so traditional with the tonic. It blends nicely with the bitterness, and really brings out the citrus. But the cardamom that I put in my tonic clashes with it - too much citrus with the spice of the cardamom.
12 Sep 2008 at 5:50 pm 57. Blaise
I Just made this for a dinner party tonight after the hostess bemoaned the fact that all the tonic waters had high fructose corn syrup and she was craving a G&T. I used 1 cup of organic evaporated cane juice instead of the agave, and have just sampled a pre-party G&T. (Tanqueray #10). Oh boy, is it delicious! (Obviously, still sampling…)
04 Feb 2009 at 11:51 am 58. mrParker
Jeffrey, do you use agave nectar or a 1:1 syrup when sweetening the mix
04 Feb 2009 at 11:55 am 59. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
mrParker - I use straight agave nectar. A 1:1 syrup would just bring too much additional water to the party.
04 Feb 2009 at 6:30 pm 60. mrParker
thanks jeffrey, the tonic turned out better than expected. i ran it as a special paired with hendricks last night and received nothing but fantastic feedback. also really enjoyed it with the m millers westbourne. good luck with the move to cc.
05 Feb 2009 at 1:11 am 61. Tom
As far as gin is concerned, I really like the flavor of the Cascade Mountain gin. It’s made in Oregon and flavored with wild juniper berries. I prefer it over the gins I’ve had (aviation, beefeater, hendricks, a few others).
28 Mar 2009 at 12:46 am 62. JohnTheBastard
About 9 months after my first Bel Ami House G&T, I’m finally making my first batch of tonic. Excited.
30 Mar 2009 at 8:13 am 63. The Concierge
I am planning on making this on Friday after work. I am concerned with preserving it for as long as possible.
Thus, I plan on storing half in freezer. However, doesn’t the citric acid preserve the mixture for about six weeks in the fridge?
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
12 Apr 2009 at 7:52 pm 64. The Concierge
Jeff,
Thanks for posting all of this information. I made the recipe, using a metal strainer, followed by a french press. The french press seemed to remove very little compared to the amount still left in suspension. I was left with a maroon colored liquid prior to adding the agave. What is the color of your liquid before adding the agave? Do I have the right color or is there another way to make it more clear?
Btw, I used cinchona bark from tenzing momo like you used.
Also, coffee filters were pretty much useless to break out the powder left.
12 Apr 2009 at 11:15 pm 65. Tom
@The Concierge
I used a coffee press as well. I usually stop after that, then let it settle overnight. After that, I just decant and pour as I go, and don’t worry about the solids at the bottom.
13 Apr 2009 at 11:47 am 66. The Concierge
Thanks Tom. I have a reddish batch sans agave sitting in my fridge. After it settles, I plan on just pouring off the top and discard the liquid holding most of the powder on the bottom.
Looking more closely at Jeff’s G&T pictured above, it is possible that the reddish color of the tonic liquid prior to the adding of agave is consistent with the recipe since the G&T has lots of clear liquid lightening the color of the drink.
16 Apr 2009 at 3:13 am 67. cordwainer
Boodles gin (if you can find it) is fantastic with this. It’s my favorite; thank you Travis McGee :-)
12 May 2009 at 2:21 pm 68. wgbar
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Has anyone tried sweeting the tonic with Stevia?
Thanks!
16 May 2009 at 9:48 pm 69. JC
I bought all the ingredients and am ready to go - except I don’t have a soda siphon. Is there any way to make this without spending $70 on that?
17 May 2009 at 1:18 am 70. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
JC - Get yourself a seventy-nine cent bottle of club soda and add two ounces of the stuff to three quarters of an ounce of syrup and two ounces of gin. Squeeze some lime on top, with ice, of course, and you should be fine.
18 May 2009 at 10:06 pm 71. Joe
After much searching I found a place that sells cinchona and is not out of stock. They disclaim, however, that this product is for research or collecting purposes only and is not for human consumption (I do not actually collect powdered bark, and if I did it would be cinnamon). They appear to have these disclaimers on things that are(or are similar to) prescription or restricted drugs. But I’m not entirely secure about the stuff now.
29 May 2009 at 10:01 pm 72. Joe
So, it turns out that the aforementioned disclaimer is solely due to the cinchona itself and not any adulterants or whatnot, so we’re go. I’ve got a batch cooking now with some juniper, cardamom and lavender in addition to the listed ingredients.
03 Jun 2009 at 1:18 pm 73. Sam Tannahill
Jeffery,
Any place to get cinchona in Portland???
Thanks!
Sam
03 Jun 2009 at 6:16 pm 74. caver01
Well, after a year, I finally made this. I was never a fan of gin and tonic, but I have to say, this has changed my mind. One stalk of lemongrass (in MN) was only enough for a half recipe. I filtered ten times through paper towels before using a coffee filter with good results. Now, I love a gin and tonic using Tanqueray Rangpur. Wonderful and refreshing! Thanks, Jeff!
04 Jun 2009 at 8:12 am 75. Snowpea
I am planning on making this; I finally got my bark powder and just need to fetch some lemongrass and find me some time.
My question: I wonder if anybody’s tried using their espresso machine to extract the quinine, or would that just gum up the works in my machine…?
13 Jun 2009 at 9:30 am 76. Snowpea
I was too nervous to try my espresso machine, so I divvied up the powder into two coffee filters, which I twisted up and tied with kitchen string.
Still lots of filtering to do (one tore a bit so I had to transfer the mud to another filter packet), but it’s coming along nicely. Next time, I will try to located make-your-own tea bags.
13 Jun 2009 at 9:31 am 77. Snowpea
(arg, make that “locate”, please)
13 Jun 2009 at 2:03 pm 78. Snowpea
Well, Houston, we have touch-down.
I just served my significant other and me a couple of G&Ts using Jeffrey’s recipe (sans citric acid).
We’ve been using the spottily available Q Tonic (not great market penetration in Canada yet), but this is another animal altogether! Wow. Just… WOW
We love it.
23 Jun 2009 at 1:39 pm 79. Herr Grau
Howdy,
I just made my first batch..
Needed a lot more agave syrup (a little more than a cup) to balance it out at least a little.
The allspice berrys smell like christmas, why are they in the recipe? I feel like it destroyed the whole fresh tonic water citrus odeur. Otherwise a realy nice recipe, thanks!
Herr Grau
23 Jun 2009 at 2:17 pm 80. Mark C. Chu-Carroll
If you don’t like the allspice, take it out!
I’ve made about 6 batches of this so far, and I haven’t used exactly the same ingredients twice. I’m loving playing with it.
Most most interesting variation was adding pomegranate molasses instead of lemon juice. One of my lemons was unexpectedly rotten on the inside, so I went hunting for something else with a pleasant sour flavor. I saw the pomegranate molasses, and threw in a good-sized dollop, to approximate the amount of sourness from the lemon.
The result was interesting. Personally, I tend to prefer bourbon and tonic to gin and tonic; with bourbon, the pomegranate flavor really didn’t work. But with Tanq#10, it’s terrific.