Cocktails with Tonic water
Tonic water is a carbonated soft drink flavored with quinine, which gives it a distinctive dry bitterness.
How it's used
The top-up for long drinks such as the Gin and Tonic: build over ice with the spirit and stir briefly so the fizz survives. Pour roughly twice as much tonic as spirit, or more. Its quinine bitterness can bury a delicate spirit, so top up to taste.
Substitutes for Tonic water
Tonic syrup with soda water
The closest build-it-yourself swap. Start at about 1 part syrup to 6 of soda, then taste.
Takes the same amount and makes a more citrusy drink.
Will not do: the drink loses both the bitterness and the sweetness.
Storage
Loses its fizz fast once opened. Keep it chilled and buy small bottles, so each round gets a freshly opened one instead of a half-flat pour.
