Best 2 Homemade Tonic Water Recipes
**Homemade Tonic Water: Quench Your Thirst with a Refreshing and Customizable Beverage**
Tonic water, a classic mixer for gin and vodka cocktails, is also a delightful drink on its own. Many store-bought varieties are laden with sugar and artificial ingredients. In contrast, homemade tonic water provides a refreshing and customizable alternative. This article offers three distinct recipes to cater to various preferences, ensuring a perfect balance of bitterness, sweetness, and carbonation. Whether you seek a traditional tonic water, a low-sugar option, or a unique herbal infusion, these recipes provide a delightful homemade experience.
**Traditional Tonic Water Recipe:**
This classic recipe captures the essence of traditional tonic water, featuring a harmonious blend of citrus, quinine, and carbonated water. Savor the subtle bitterness of quinine, complemented by the brightness of citrus and a touch of sweetness.
**Low-Sugar Tonic Water Recipe:**
For those seeking a healthier alternative, this low-sugar recipe offers a reduced sugar content without compromising flavor. Enjoy a refreshing tonic water without the guilt, as natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit provide a guilt-free sweetness.
**Herbal Tonic Water Recipe:**
This recipe adds a unique twist to the classic tonic water by incorporating a blend of aromatic herbs. Rosemary, thyme, and lemongrass infuse the tonic water with a delightful herbal complexity, creating a refreshing and flavorful beverage perfect for sipping on its own or mixing with your favorite spirits.
This article provides a comprehensive guide to crafting homemade tonic water, empowering you to create a beverage that suits your taste and preferences. Whether you desire a classic tonic water experience, a low-sugar option, or an herbal-infused delight, these recipes offer a delightful homemade experience. Experience the joy of crafting your own tonic water and savor the refreshing taste of this customizable beverage.
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.
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.
Tips:
- To make a refreshing and flavorful tonic water, start with high-quality ingredients. Use fresh fruits, herbs, and spices, and make sure your water is clean and free of contaminants.
- When making the simple syrup, be sure to use equal parts sugar and water. This will ensure that the syrup is not too sweet or too watery.
- If you are using a carbonation machine, follow the manufacturer's instructions for how to carbonate the water. Be sure to carbonate the water to the desired level of fizziness.
- If you are not using a carbonation machine, you can carbonate the water by adding baking soda and citric acid. Be sure to add the ingredients in the correct proportions, as too much baking soda or citric acid can make the tonic water taste bitter.
- To make a flavored tonic water, add your desired flavorings to the simple syrup. You can use fruits, herbs, spices, or extracts. Be creative and experiment with different flavor combinations to find your favorites.
- Serve the tonic water chilled, over ice, or mixed with your favorite spirits. Garnish with a slice of fruit or a sprig of herbs for a refreshing and flavorful drink.
Conclusion:
Homemade tonic water is a delicious and refreshing beverage that is easy to make at home. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a tonic water that is just as good as, if not better than, store-bought brands. So next time you're in the mood for a refreshing drink, try making your own tonic water. You won't be disappointed.
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