How to pour
a tonic in
Put the glass in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes, or fill it with ice first and discard the meltwater. A cold glass immediately saves ice, and less melting ice means less water in your tonic.
Fill the glass to the top with large ice cubes. A lot of ice melts more slowly than a few cubes because a full column of ice keeps itself cold and each cube has less surface area exposed to melting.
Hold a bar spoon with the rounded side facing up against the ice and pour the tonic over the back of the spoon. This lets the tonic glide down along the ice instead of splashing onto it, helping you keep the carbonation in the glass.
Don’t squeeze the lime wedge; let it slide down the side of the glass, and add the sprig of rosemary if you’re using Mediterranean tonic. If you want to add gin, use 1 part gin to 3 to 4 parts tonic, so 4 cl gin to 12 to 16 cl tonic.
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The story
Tonic is the only soft drink whose flavor comes from a tree. Quinine comes from the bark of the cinchona tree, originally from the mountains of South America, and it is this substance that gives tonic its dry, bitter finish. Quinine does something else too: it glows blue under ultraviolet light, so put a glass of tonic under a blacklight and the glass will glow. The amount of quinine it may contain is legally limited, and you can taste that too, because today's tonic is much milder than the versions from a century ago. What brands do next is frame the bitterness: with citrus, herbs, blossoms or simply less sugar.
The right glass
Tonic mainly needs room for ice, which is why a bulbous copa on a stem works so well: it fits six to eight cubes, the stem keeps your warm hand away from the drink and the wide bowl lets you see the bubbles and garnish. A tall, straight glass works too, especially if you prefer a narrow column of ice; those models can be found among the highball glasses.
RCR Alkemist Gin Tonic Glass 67 cl (6 pieces)
Pasabahce Bistro Gin Tonic Glass 63 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 74,90.
The right tools
For tonic, besides the glass, you use a bar spoon to pour in the tonic and a jigger to measure the ratio precisely. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 75,85.
Which drink belongs in your tonic?
Tonic itself is alcohol-free. The classic combination is gin with tonic, in a ratio of 1 to 3 or 1 to 4, while vodka does the same with fewer botanicals around it. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Indian tonic is the straightforward version with the most bitterness, Mediterranean is softer and more herbal, elderflower adds floral notes, and light contains less sugar, making the bitterness come to the fore. A slice of grapefruit instead of lime makes it rounder, while a few juniper berries bring it closer to gin without the gin. If you drink it neat, use a slightly smaller glass, because tonic without any alcohol in it quickly tastes flat in a large copa. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
Always pour tonic from a bottle or small bottle that you have just opened, because half a bottle from yesterday has already lost most of its carbonation. Hold the glass at an angle while pouring and only set it upright when it is almost full. Put the bottles and ice separately on the table, for example in one of the ice buckets, so everyone can fill their own glass when they drink it.
Good to know
Where does quinine come from?
Quinine is a substance from the bark of the cinchona tree, which originally grows in the mountains of South America. The bark is bitter, and that bitterness comes through in tonic. The amount of quinine allowed in soft drinks is subject to a legal upper limit, so there is not much of it; enough for the flavor, and no more than that.
Why does tonic glow under a blacklight?
Quinine is fluorescent: it absorbs ultraviolet light and emits it again as visible blue light. Place a glass of tonic under a blacklight and the entire liquid glows bright blue. This does not happen with plain water or another soft drink, so it is an immediate test of whether it really contains quinine.
What is the difference between Indian, Mediterranean, elderflower, and light?
Indian tonic is the classic, dry version in which the bitterness is most pronounced. Mediterranean is softer and more herbal, with notes reminiscent of rosemary and thyme. Elderflower includes elderflower and tastes more floral and sweeter. Light contains less sugar, making the bitterness come across relatively stronger.
What gin-to-tonic ratio should you use?
Usually 1 to 3 or 1 to 4. That means 12 to 16 cl of tonic for 4 cl of gin. Use less tonic and the gin dominates while the freshness disappears; use more and it becomes flat. Stick to 1 to 3 with a mild gin and 1 to 4 with a more pronounced gin.
Why do the glass and tonic need to be cold?
Carbonation stays in cold liquid better, so cold tonic in a chilled glass stays fizzy longer. The ice also melts more slowly in a chilled glass, and less meltwater means your drink remains flavorful until the last sip instead of ending up watered down.
Why pour over a bar spoon?
If you pour tonic directly onto the ice, it breaks up and you lose a substantial part of the bubbles within a few seconds. If you hold a bar spoon with the rounded side facing up against the ice, the tonic runs down along it, and most of the carbonation remains in the glass.
Frequently asked questions
Why is tonic bitter?
Because of quinine, a substance from the bark of the cinchona tree. That bitterness is not a side effect but the whole point of tonic: without quinine, you simply have sweet sparkling water.
How much gin goes with tonic?
Usually 1 part gin to 3 to 4 parts tonic, so 4 cl of gin to 12 to 16 cl of tonic. With a mild gin, you can use a 1-to-3 ratio; with a more pronounced gin, 1-to-4 is more pleasant.
Does tonic really light up under a blacklight?
Yes. Quinine is fluorescent and emits a bright blue glow under ultraviolet light. A glass of tonic therefore visibly lights up under a blacklight.
What is the difference between Indian tonic and Mediterranean tonic?
Indian tonic is the dry classic where the bitterness takes center stage. Mediterranean tonic is softer and more herbal, with notes reminiscent of rosemary and thyme, making it less sharp in flavor.
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