Who would have thought that Gin & Tonic, one of the world’s most popular drinks originated as a way to prevent disease? Well, it turns out that this oldie but goodie cocktail, with more than 100 years since its creation, was used by British soldiers in India to prevent getting sick from malaria.
But, how was a delicious spirit brewed with spices and herbs, mixed with tonic water and sometimes added with lemon or other fresh fruits, was initially used as a medicine?
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It all comes down to one of the main ingredients in tonic water: quinine. But before we tell you that story, let’s start with the basics.
What is gin made of?
Gin is obtained by distillation from a base grain that can be wheat or barley. Later, it is added with botanicals, herbs, spices o flowers to give it its particular flavor.
The most common added flavors are citrus like orange peel, anise, licorice root, cinnamon, saffron, coriander, nutmeg, or almond.
In the United States, it most has no less than 40% ABV and the predominant flavor must be juniper berries. But this varies from country to country.
Who created Gin & Tonic
Once you know what gin is made of, it is time to learn about how this cocktail went from being a medicinal remedy to a popular drink.
It turns out that Gin was initially consumed in the Netherlands, however, it got to British soldiers who turned it into one of their favorite spirits, so much that they usually drank it neat or with a bit of hot water. Nothing else.
However, when the British Empire occupation of the Indian subcontinent, officers started to use quinine as an antimalarial compound.
Because of its strong and bitter taste, they added to its daily doses a sip of sugar and water to make it more palatable.
In fact, quinine has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes, being the indigenous Peruvians the most notable.
According to the book Just the tonic: a natural history of tonic water by Kim Walker and Mark Nesbitt, British officers drank the recommended amount of quinine that was two grains per day daily. They used to mix it with sherry or any other alcoholic drink. And remember that Gin was one of their favorites?
This led to another creation: the Indian Tonic Water by Schweppes company which was a key ingredient in this early version of the Gin & Tonic.
Of course, at that time the concentration of quinine was higher than it is modern tonic water. Today, tonic water contains a maximum of 83 milligrams of quinine in a liter. In order to achieve any preventative effect of quinine, you would need a concentration five to ten times greater, according to Walker and Nesbitt.
But, this is just the beginning of the Gin & Tonic, mainly because to this point, it isn’t considered a cocktail yet.
Gin & Tonic, the cocktail
The first known reference to Gin & Tonic as a cocktail is in the Anglo-Indian Oriental Sporting Magazine in 1868, a decade after the first patented quinine tonic water.
Later, tonic waters became a success not only amongst British soldiers in India but in England as well. Turning this bitter cocktail into one of the people’s favorite.
Nowadays, Gin & Tonic is still considered one of the poshiest and easiest cocktails. All you need is a splash of Gin and tonic water. If you want some extra flavor, just add a slice of fruit or maybe some spices and there you go.
If after all this, you’ve decided you want to give it a try or just treat yourself with this cocktail, here’s the recipe:
Mix it all in a wide cup or a highball glass and enjoy!
