Introduced in 2019, our award-winning Classic Tonic Water is simple and delicious, but what makes it so special is all in the details.
Q: What is tonic water?
A: Tonic is a carbonated water flavored with sugar and bitters. The origin of tonic water as we know it today can be traced back to a botanical tincture issued to British soldiers in WWI. The tincture contained a natural bittering agent called quinine, which was used as a means of fighting malaria. According to legend, soldiers would mix the tincture with gin and sugar to make it more palatable, and thus the classic Gin & Tonic was born.
Q: How is Top Note’s Classic Tonic Water different from other tonic waters?
A: While other commercial tonics utilize multiple lower-quality bittering agents, we found that by using high-quality, naturally-derived quinine as the sole bittering agent we’re able to pull out and enhance a pleasantly clean lime characteristic that needs little else to shine.
Q: What’s the difference between Classic Tonic Water and Indian Tonic Water?
A: Our aromatic Indian Tonic Water contains two bittering agents - quinine and gentian root, which provide a soft earthiness to the tonic that complements botanical gins and allow it to stand on its own as a European aperitivo-style soft drink.
Our Classic Tonic Water pays homage to the classic quinine qualities of WWI-era tonic tinctures, utilizing quinine as its sole bittering agent and giving it a crisp, citrus-forward backbone perfectly suited for vodka and juniper-forward gins.
Q: How can I best enjoy Classic Tonic Water?
A: This is the mixer for those looking for a pure, no-frills tonic water to complement fine vodkas and London Dry gins. Because our Classic Tonic Water is produced with a small amount of GMO-free pure cane sugar to balance out the bitter top notes, it also tastes great on its own or mixed into a number of non-alcoholic drink recipes. Follow this link to check out some of our favorite tonic cocktails and spirit-free recipes.