If you're a fan of gin and tonic, you might want to know what tonic water is and what its properties are. Gin also goes well with sparkling water and seltzer, but it gained a lot of popularity with tonic water. In simple words, tonic water is just carbonated water with quinine infused in it. To add flavor, manufacturers add fruit acids and sugar. Since quinine makes it bitter, basic tonic water is bitter in taste. The more quinine it contains, the more bitter it gets. The quinine used in tonic water comes from cinchona tree bark. It was also used as an old medicine to treat malaria, so the original tonic water was thought to have medicinal benefits.

You'll find a lot of do-it-yourself videos on the internet that teach you how to make tonic water. It needs multiple ingredients and a lot of patience. You'll need cinchona bark or cinchona powder to make basic tonic water. And depending on the flavors you want to add to it, you'll need spices and orange or lime zest and syrup to balance the bitterness. If you have all the ingredients at home, you can make and bottle your own tonic water. But - no pressure to make your own. It's not expensive and readily available.

Tonic makes a great base for certain cocktails. Tequila, cucumber, rosemary and tonic is a refreshing, summery cocktail to sip. Indian tonic water, which is often naturally sweetened, makes a delicious bowl of punch with sliced fresh fruit. Add tonic to an aged rum for an interesting taste.

Enjoy a refreshing gin and tonic or create some new interesting cocktails with tonic water. Shop Drizly, and see if we're in your city, or find your nearest liquor store location.