Concept in Definition ABC

The Water tonic is a refreshing drink, the same color as water, gaseous type and with a slight bitter taste. It is popularly known as a tonic. Its basic ingredients are two: carbonated water and quinine, but to them we must add the sweeteners that are used for its elaboration.

Its fundamental element is carbonated water, that is, water with carbonic acid (H2CO3), which is the cause of its bubbly form. The quinine that accompanies it is a natural alkaloid that in its original form has antipyretic and analgesic properties. With regard to quinine, it must be said that it is what gives tonic water its characteristic bitter taste and, on the other hand, it is a compound that has traditionally been used to combat the effects of malaria.

A historical brushstroke

Quinine has been consumed for centuries to counteract the effects of malaria. It is known that in the 17th century the Countess of Chinchón fell ill with malaria and managed to save her life thanks to quinine. However, this crust had a drawback, its exaggerated bitter taste. To soften its unpleasant taste, some British officers residing in India in the late nineteenth century began the custom of dissolving quinine tablets in water. In this way, your

consumption it was more pleasant.

Thus, the discovery Using tonic water as a soft drink was the first step in the creation of the well-known gin and tonic. Over time, the gin and tonic became a symbol of British culture, something similar to what happened with another drink, tea.

The tonic as a drink

This fizzy drink is not a sweet-tasting soft drink and is therefore not normally consumed by a young audience. In fact, the tonic is a very common drink in the cocktail bar. It can be combined with gin, creating the classic gin and tonic, with rosemary vodka or combined with tequila.

Tonic is drunk alone as a refreshing drink and can be accompanied with a lemon wedge. There are people who drink it as a digestive. It should not be forgotten that it originally had effects on the Health and for this reason received this name (it is a tonic because it tones). The tonic has quite a few calories and each type of tonic has different bubbles, some fine and some fat.

The different brands that market the tonic maintain its main ingredients, but try to create a Balance between its genuine bitter taste and a certain sweetness.

Photos: iStock - lottorich / NatchaS

Topics in Tonic Water