StillSmart

Not exactly distilling but as I now find myself in a position where tonic water costs more than gin I thought I'd have a go at making my own and wondered if anyone else had tried it and has a proven recipe?
Plenty of recipes online and I have cinchona bark and citric acid on order, method either involves boiling up the bark or infusing it in vodka filtering then adding citric acid and botanicals and sugar to make a syrup which is added to fizzy water to get the tonic.
I've not decided on a recipe yet but want to keep it simple and get the botanical flAvours from the gin rather than the tonic. I have co2 for a cornie keg system so fizzing up some water shouldn't be a problem.
Will update later when I have some results.

Moonraker wrote:

I now find myself in a position where tonic water costs more than gin .

I agree. I have tried the sodastream concentrate - thats good.

Just to add.. I would defo try a recipe....

I like this one:

https://pinchandswirl.com/homemade-toni ... and-tonic/

This thread has become a fascinating read.

Robert.

Didn't feel the love with that recipe. Has anyone tried it?

Waiting on the bark, should be in early next week so hopefully have something together by next weekend.

Mash wrote:Didn't feel the love with that recipe. Has anyone tried it?

You mean the one I posted? It's been my go to recipe over the last year or so. I use cardamom seed instead of cardamom pods, sea salt instead of kosher salt and skip the lavender, but aside from that, I stick to the recipe. It makes a nice tonic that complements the gin, without dominating it.

I thought wormwood's post intimated that he used it?
And didn't just find it a sexy recipe to read?

Robert.

wormwood wrote:

Mash wrote:Didn't feel the love with that recipe. Has anyone tried it?

You mean the one I posted? It's been my go to recipe over the last year or so. I use cardamom seed instead of cardamom pods, sea salt instead of kosher salt and skip the lavender, but aside from that, I stick to the recipe. It makes a nice tonic that complements the gin, without dominating it.

Thanks. Does it keep ok?

Was planning to do recipe as wormwood linked above but bark has arrived and am still waiting on citric acid so decided to try this recipe https://www.blossomtostem.net/homemade-tonic-syrup/

Quinine tincture Is now being made, rather than boil up the ingredients as per the link I thought I'd use botanical basket in my airstill with just water in to extract the flavours then combine with syrup, citric acid and filtered tincture.

Mash wrote: Thanks. Does it keep ok?

Keeps at least three months in the fridge, probably longer. Sugar and citric acid are both preservatives, but you could also just make smaller batches.

This is worth reading if you're going to make your own tonic water. Be careful guys, you don't want to end up with quinine poisoning. http://www.alcademics.com/2014/08/poten ... water.html

wormwood wrote:

Mash wrote: Thanks. Does it keep ok?

Keeps at least three months in the fridge, probably longer. Sugar and citric acid are both preservatives, but you could also just make smaller batches.

Sugar is not a preservative at the volumes in tonic. From memory 65brix is the magic figure.

Mash wrote:Sugar is not a preservative at the volumes in tonic. From memory 65brix is the magic figure.

I believe that is the magic figure for room temperature preservation. I'd definitely recommend keeping this stuff in the fridge.

Moonraker wrote:Was planning to do recipe as wormwood linked above but bark has arrived and am still waiting on citric acid so decided to try this recipe https://www.blossomtostem.net/homemade-tonic-syrup/

Quinine tincture Is now being made, rather than boil up the ingredients as per the link I thought I'd use botanical basket in my airstill with just water in to extract the flavours then combine with syrup, citric acid and filtered tincture.

How did this turn out?