Tonic Water Is a Home Bar Staple—Here's What It Is and How It Differs From Seltzer and Club Soda

Times have changed for tonic water. The classic, easy-drinking mixer, beloved for being both bubbly and bittersweet, is no longer the product of only a few iconic brands; now, a crop of creative blends helps you give your classic gin and tonic a modern update.

With a history that spans more than 150 years, tonic has established itself as one of the most essential ingredients on your bar, both for mixing with hard liquor and for adding flavor to mocktails. Jason Hedges, bartender and author of The Seasonal Cocktail, breaks down the ingredients, flavor profile, and best ways to use the traditional—and contemporary—versions of this drink.

What Is Tonic Water?

Tonic water is a carbonated drink, often used as a mixer for cocktails, which is best-known for the inclusion of quinine among its ingredients. Quinine is derived from the bark of Cinchona trees, which are native to Central America and naturalized or cultivated in Indonesia, the Caribbean, and Africa.

Bitter quinine, valued for its antimalarial properties, found its way into artificially effervescent water in the mid to late 18th century. After the invention of commercial carbonation in the mid-1700s, Jacob Schweppes (among others) set up a factory in London to manufacture fizzy water in the 1790s.

As malaria raged in the British Raj, whose global reach extended most famously to India, the addition of quinine in the 1870s created Schweppes' "Indian Tonic Water"—a medicinal drink that was viewed as a preventative against the killer disease. It was also known as the fever tree, for quinine's fever-reducing qualities. Also known as fever tree, for quinine's fever-reducing qualities, Cinchona officinalis was introduced to Africa by Belgian colonists; the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is now home to the largest commercial Cinchona forests in the world.

What Tonic Water Tastes Like

The distinctive taste of tonic water is based on the range of flavors in its ingredients, which include citric acid, sweetener—often high fructose corn syrup—carbonated water, natural flavors, and quinine. The end result, says Hedges, is a little bit sharp and a little bit sugary. "Tonic water tastes slightly bitter, with a hint of sweetness and a citrus flavor," he says.

Tonic Water vs. Seltzer vs. Club Soda

Tonic water, seltzer, and club soda are all versions of carbonated water, though they don't taste the same.

• Seltzer contains carbon dioxide only, which is what makes it fizz.
• Club soda is made with carbon dioxide, but it also includes mineral salts that give it slightly more body and, sometimes, sodium bicarbonate. "Seltzer and club soda are often used as mixers for non-alcoholic drinks, or as a base for other flavored syrups," says Hedges.
• Tonic water provides unique flavor profile. It can contain sugar, citrus, and other botanicals, explains Hedges.
  

Trends in Tonic Water

As boutique gins gained popularity, tonic water saw its own profile rise, too. Modern tonics are interesting and tasty—even without the addition of alcohol—and are a boon to mixologists looking to develop no-alcohol by volume libations. They also do justice to good gin. "Newer tonic water brands often feature more unique flavor profiles, and use natural sweeteners rather than high fructose corn syrup," says Hedges. "A more expensive tonic water may be of higher quality and offer a more complex flavor, but this is not always the case. It ultimately comes down to personal preference and the ingredients used."

British brand Fever Tree produces tonic water that uses quinine from the DRC, and none of the corn syrup that cloys some older brands (and pushes up their calorie and carb counts). They offer a light, lower-calorie option, as well as styles that feature elderberry, lemon thyme, cucumber, or vanilla.

South African tonic producer Barker and Quin highlights hibiscus, as well as honeybush (an aromatic shrub) and marula (a tree fruit), both native to that country. New Zealand brand East Imperial creates tonic waters vibrant with yuzu and grapefruit.

Stateside, Brooklyn-origin brand Q Mixers sources its quinine from the Peruvian Andes and sweetens classic mixes with agave. For a taste of vintage tonic nostalgia, of course, you can still twist the cap off an economical bottle of Canada Dry or Schweppes.

Ways to Use Tonic Water

Tonic water is famous for its role in gin and tonics or vodka tonics, but it pairs well with other hard liquors and in mocktails, says Hedges. Try tonic with rum and lime juice, mezcal and lime juice, or tequila and grapefruit juice, add a splash of cranberry juice and a wedge of lime, squeeze an orange or grapefruit slice into tonic, or float a cucumber slice and a sprig of mint.

Try these other tonic water recipes:

• Amaro Spritz: Add tonic water to Campari or Aperol for a lower-alcohol version of the Aperol spritz
• Lillet-Basil Cocktail: A splash of tonic adds fizz to this wine-based apertif.
• Portofino Cocktail: Tonic, grapefruit juice, and Campari are a light and summery drink option.