Best 3 Homemade Tonic Water Recipes
Homemade tonic water is a refreshing and flavorful beverage that can be easily made at home. It is a great alternative to store-bought tonic water, which is often high in sugar and artificial ingredients. Homemade tonic water is made with simple ingredients like water, sugar, cinchona bark, and citrus. It can be enjoyed on its own or mixed with gin or vodka to make a classic gin and tonic or vodka tonic. Whether you are looking for a healthy and refreshing beverage or a delicious mixer for your favorite cocktail, homemade tonic water is a great option.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
TONIC WATER
Adapted from Bitter: A Taste of the World's Most Dangerous Flavor by Jennifer McLagan I changed up the spice mixture from what Jennifer used and tinkered (ie: customized) a few other things. Some people add a teaspoon of dried lavender to their tonic water infusing along with the allspice, and I also included some cardamom, since I like that elusive flavor in my cocktails. I used chopped chinchona bark, not powdered chinchona, which comes broken into little pieces. I've listed sources for that, as well as the citric acid, after the recipe. If you can't gather all four citrus fruits, feel free to substitute one for another, ie: 2 oranges instead of 1 grapefruit and 1 orange. Since you're using the peel, it's best to use organic or unsprayed citrus fruits. To make the simple syrup, bring 1 1/4 cup (250g) of sugar to a boil with 1 cup (250ml) of water, stirring frequently, for one minute, until the sugar is completely dissolved. To use this tonic water, mix it 1:1 (in equal parts) with sparkling water or club soda.
Provided by David
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Pour the water into a medium-sized nonreactive saucepan. Add the zest from the grapefruit, orange, lemon, and lime. (You can remove it with a sharp vegetable peeler, in strips, or with a citrus zester.) Halve, then juice the citrus fruits and add the juice to the saucepan.
- Add the lemongrass, citric acid, chinchona bark, allspice, cardamom, star anise, salt, and black peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover with a lid, leaving it slightly askew, and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and cool to room temperature.
- Pour into a container, such as a large screw-top jar, and chill for 2 days in the refrigerator, shaking it gently a couple of times a day.
- Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer, preferably into a large measuring cup (which will make the next step easier). Discard the spices, lemongrass, bark, and citrus peels. Strain the mixture again, this time through a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth, muslin, or a coffee filter. (If using a coffee filter, it'll remove most traces of the spice powder but it'll take a bit of time, so be patient.)
- Add the sugar syrup, then pour into clean bottles or screw-top jars and refrigerate until ready to use.
- To use the tonic water: Pour off the tonic water, avoiding disturbing any bark and spice sediment that might settle into the bottom of the bottle or jar, then add an equal amount of sparkling water to obtain the quantity that you need. So to make 1 cup (250ml) of tonic water, you'll use 1/2 cup (125ml) of the tonic water mixture, and 1/2 cup (125ml) sparkling water.
HOMEMADE TONIC WATER
This homemade tonic syrup makes the most delicious gin and tonics. To make a gin and tonic, use 1/2 ounce or so of tonic syrup with 2 ounces of gin and top off with several ounces of soda water. Syrup can stay refrigerated in a resealable container for about 1 month.
Provided by Lorem Ipsum
Categories Drinks Recipes
Time 1h10m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Bring water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Reduce heat to low; stir in lime zest, lime juice, lemon grass, citric acid, and powdered cinchona bark. Simmer until cinchona is thoroughly dissolved, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat; let mixture cool, about 15 minutes. Strain through a colander. Run the syrup through coffee filters or cheesecloth to remove sandy bits of bark.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 101.7 calories, Carbohydrate 28.9 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 0.1 g, Sodium 1.5 mg, Sugar 25.1 g
TONIC SYRUP
What is tonic? Like its partner gin, tonic can be a blend of many different things, depending on the recipe, which is generally proprietary. But, also like gin (which, no matter what other ingredients, must begin with juniper berries), tonic must start with quinine, which is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree of South America.
Provided by Eric Asimov
Categories non-alcoholic drinks
Yield About 1 pint
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a medium saucepan, combine cinchona bark, lemon grass, lime zest and grapefruit zest. Add grapefruit juice, lime juice, allspice berries and 2 cups water. Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and pass through a fine strainer lined with muslin or cheesecloth into a bowl. Allow mixture to rest for at least 30 minutes, then carefully pour off liquid, leaving behind and discarding grainy particulates that have settled at bottom of bowl.
- For each cup of the resulting tonic water, add 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon citric acid. Cover and refrigerate until used.
Tips:
- Choose the right quinine: Look for food-grade quinine powder or quinine sulfate. Quinine is the bitter alkaloid that gives tonic water its characteristic flavor.
- Use fresh citrus: Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice adds a bright, citrusy flavor to tonic water.
- Add some sweetness: Sugar, honey, or simple syrup can be used to sweeten tonic water to your liking.
- Use sparkling water: Club soda or seltzer water provides the carbonation for tonic water.
- Experiment with different flavors: You can add other flavors to tonic water, such as cucumber, ginger, or mint, to create unique variations.
Conclusion:
Homemade tonic water is a refreshing and flavorful beverage that is easy to make. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a delicious tonic water that is perfect for enjoying on its own or as a mixer for cocktails. So next time you're looking for a refreshing drink, give homemade tonic water a try. You won't be disappointed!
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