Gin and tonic is a popular cocktail using tonic water.
Tonic water is a popular mixer in alcoholic drinks. It is carbonated water sweetened with fruit extract and flavored with quinine, which has a bitter taste. Although tonic water might seem to be an essential ingredient in some drinks, you can make a drink that is just as delicious using something else. If you find yourself out of tonic water, use creativity and flavor a drink to taste to make a cocktail that only a connoisseur will know is not the real thing.
Soda Water
Tonic water offers a clear, carbonated mix to any alcohol with a touch of sweetness and bitterness. Soda water can act as a substitute in a pinch. While soda water is simply carbonated water with some sodium bicarbonate added, it can give a cocktail that clean and clear addition. If your drink lacks flavor with soda water, add a squeeze of lemon or lime. Experiment with different amounts of citrus to get the flavor just right.
Lemon-Lime Soda
You can replace tonic water with other flavored clear and carbonated beverages. Store-bought lemon-lime soda can act as an appropriate substitute for tonic water. Lemon-lime soda looks like tonic water, but is sweeter. If you find that it is too sweet for what you are making, try using a diet or sugar-free variety of lemon-lime soda. You can also dilute it with soda water to reduce sugar content.
Ginger Ale
You won't be fooling anyone with ginger ale, but you can use it to make a delicious drink if you are running low on tonic water. Add ginger ale to gin, vodka or to any other drink where you would normally have used tonic water. Ginger ale is sweet, but the ginger provides enough unique flavor to make a drink that is at least similar to a tonic drink.
Homemade Tonic Water
It is difficult to do, but you can make your own tonic water as a substitute for the store-bought variety. There are recipes available online (see Resources). You will need quinine bark powder, citrus fruits and berries. The process involves cooking ingredients in a saucepan and filtering out the liquid. You can vary ingredients to make a tonic water substitute that is just to your taste.
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