Which tonic for a perfect Gin & Tonic?

Your favorite gins no longer have any secrets for you and you like to taste them in the heart of the inevitable Gin & Tonic, cocktail without artifice and very simple appearance. However, a second ingredient composes it in majority and is often neglected: tonic.

If there is a wide variety of gins whose style depends on the botanicals that go into its composition, it is the same for this soft drink. It must therefore be chosen carefully, so that it has the qualities capable of sublimating your spirit.

Rather neutral or flavored tonic?

Long dominated by large groups, the tonic waters market is diversifying thanks to the multiplication of artisanal producers. But before you discover them, it’s important to get back to the basics. What is tonic ? This effervescent beverage is composed of water and quinine. Indeed, its sustained bitterness at the end of the mouth comes from the bark of cinchona, a shrub native to Latin America and Africa. There are various qualities, more or less aromatic. With a quinine of poor quality, we tend to increase the sugar level and synthetic flavors, thus giving this chemical sensation in the mouth. It should also be noted that some premium brands use plants that are close to it tastefully such as bitter quassia or gentian.

There are two main families. The classic Indian Tonic, dry, thirst-quenching and bitter, with a palette around citrus fruits like lime, grapefruit and orange. We like to mix them with gins rich in fruit. Flavored tonics. We then move away from traditional codes by buying herbs, fruits, spices or flowers. They are more sophisticated and powerful on the palate, but also more difficult to marry since they require a precision alliance according to the characteristics of the gin.

Playing on aromatic profiles

Several factors come into play to define the value of a tonic. It is preferred from pure mineral water and ingredients of superior quality and natural origin. For a beautiful effervescence, we go to a glass container that preserves carbon dioxide better than plastic. Sugar levels can vary, and it’s important to always find a balance between sugar, acidity and bitterness.

Its aromatic profile, whether sweet, bitter, floral, astringent, herbaceous, spicy, woody or fruity, should echo that of your gin. It is there to enhance without ever erasing. And to compose the ideal Gin & Tonic, there is only one solution, taste. Discover the flavors of the different tonics and gins, each with its subtleties. But above all, experiment, because the field of possibilities is infinite (or almost).