DIY Tonic Water

According to the internet, International Gin & Tonic Day is celebrated worldwide on October 19th. To celebrate, let’s make a classic Gin & Tonic and then elevate it with a homemade tonic water that will impress your friends at your next G&T gathering.

Gin & Tonic is as simple as its name suggests: a refreshing mix of gin and tonic. It can be incredible as long as you use quality ingredients. Get your chilled glass ready and let’s start.

Classic Gin & Tonic

• 50 ml (1 2/3 oz) London Dry gin

• 100 ml (3 1/3 oz) premium tonic

• Lime wedge (squeezed if you like)

This classic British drink has an interesting history. In the 1700s, British colonials in India realized that quinine from cinchona bark could help prevent malaria. The problem was its bitter taste, so they mixed it with soda water and sugar, then added gin and a squeeze of lime. That’s how the Gin & Tonic was born – bitter, sweet, and refreshing.

Before we are going into this recipe we all have to be well aware of what we are doing. Cinchona bark can be poisonous so make sure to use it right! My recipe contains a small amount of cinchona bark and I calculate the amount of quinine dissolved into the syrup.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞.

So now I will show you how to make homemade tonic water so that you can enjoy a truly unique Gin and Tonic. A lot is known about gins, but do we know enough about the tonics? Here I am focusing more on the second part of this mixed drink and showing you how to make it yourself! I am sure you will impress your friends at the next Gin & Tonic party with this homemade tonic water.

Homemade Tonic Syrup

· 250 ml (8 1/3oz) water

· 7 g dried chinchona bark powder

· 5 g grated grapefruit peel

· 1 g grated lemon peel

· 1 g grated lime peel

Gently mix before heating and let it boil for 5 minutes. When that’s done, strain it through a coffee filter. Measure out 200 ml of this infusion and add

· 200 g sugar

· 10 g citric acid and

· 5 g malic acid

Stir well and let it cool before bottling. This syrup is the foundation for a truly unique tonic water.

Homemade Tonic Water

Add into a soda siphon:

· 255g cold water

· 45 ml (1 ½ oz) homemade tonic syrup

· 3 drops of 20% saline solution (20 g salt dissolved in 80 ml of water)

Add the mixture to a soda siphon, charge with a CO₂ cartridge, shake vigorously for 10 seconds, release excess gas, then repeat with another cartridge. This ensures your tonic is perfectly carbonated. If you don’t have a siphon or CO₂ cartridges, gently mix the tonic syrup with soda water for a simpler alternative.

Truly Unique Gin & Tonic

· 50 ml (1 2/3 oz) Canaima Gin – a South American gin with citrus notes that complement the tonic

· 100 ml (3 1/3 oz) homemade tonic water

· Grapefruit wedge

Build the cocktail over clear ice in a glass. I prefer a 2:1 ratio of tonic to gin, but you can adjust to taste. The combination is unlike any Gin & Tonic you’ll find at a bar – earthy, grassy, and citrusy from the gin, perfectly balanced with the bitterness and aromatics of your homemade tonic. A simple grapefruit wedge is enough for garnish; it won’t steal the spotlight from the drink itself.

This is your chance to serve a truly unique Gin & Tonic. Whether for International Gin & Tonic Day or just a quiet evening at home, this cocktail stands out with its balanced bitterness, freshness, and craft.

Cheers, and enjoy responsibly!

#gintonic #diytonic #tonicwater