Homemade Tonic

I have come a long way since my first attempt at making homemade tonic, which I shamelessly posted about here. In my defense everyone has got to start somewhere. I learned a lot that first round, including the basic components of a tonic, the balance of bitter/sour/sweet I preferred, and how obnoxious the straining process is! 

Now that I am more comfortable with the base ingredients  - cinchona bark, citric acid and lime - I was able to enjoy crafting a recipe by choosing botanical flavors to highlight the citrus notes prevalent in a good gin and tonic. Pink peppercorns, eucalyptus, camomile and fresh herbs (the latter from my garden), give a hint of earthiness while maintaining the bitterness I love.

Brace yourself: the list of ingredients looks overwhelming at first glance. However, most ingredients can be found at your local grocer, and all are quick to measure out. (For the harder to find botanicals, I opt to pop over to one of my favorite shops, Dandelion Botanical.)

One last quick note: you will notice that my tonic is quite dark. This is due in part to using powdered cinchona bark (versus bark pieces), but also because my sugar of choice is turbinado, which results in a much darker syrup. 

Tonic Syrup
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons powdered cinchona bark
1 teaspoon citric acid
from one lime: one large peel, zest from the remaining peel, juice
from one grapefruit: zest from half a grapefruit and three large peels
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns
2 teaspoons dried eucalyptus leaves
1/8 cup dried camomile
long sprig lemon verbena
3-6 leaves spicy oregano

Measure out all of the ingredients and have them handy. On the stovetop, bring the water and sugar to boil, stirring to ensure that the sugar dissolves completely. Reduce to a simmer and add the remaining ingredients in one fell swoop. Feel free to tweak the proportions to your liking. Allow mixture to simmer for about 20 minutes. If you prefer a slightly less floral undertone, steep the peppercorns, eucalyptus, camomile and herbs into a tea bag and remove after they have infused as much flavor as you desire.

Now the fun begins. What I have found to work the best with common tools is the following two step process:

First, pour the mixture through a large strainer into a gravy boat, to get out the bigger stuff. You might want to press the remaining goop with a spoon against the side of the strainer to make sure you are getting all of the liquid. 

Second, place a clean strainer over the container you plan on keeping your tonic syrup in, and insert a large tea bag, open on two of the four sides. Cheesecloth or similar would also work. Pour the mixture from the gravy boat slowly into the strainer. Sadly, you will have to exert some patience here. The good news is that eventually the mixture will drain through, and you will be left with a delightful tonic syrup.

You should immediately mix yourself a classic gin and tonic (1 part tonic syrup  / 3 parts soda water  / 2 parts gin), smugly thinking all the while that you will never again purchase tonic at the store. (This won't actually always be the case, and that is OK. There are many great options out there, Q Tonic being a fan favorite.)  

I have also found tonic syrup to be a great addition to soda water for a non alcoholic spritzer, or to a hot toddy when the weather turns. 

Cheers!