Tonic Water

Tonic water is a carbonated soft drink defined by its distinctive bitter edge, which comes from quinine — a compound originally extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree. What began as a medicinal drink used to ward off malaria in tropical colonies has become one of the world’s most popular mixers.

In Australia, tonic water is most closely associated with the gin and tonic, a drink that has seen a significant revival with the growth of local craft gin distilleries. It’s also used in other cocktails or drunk on its own as a refreshing, slightly bitter alternative to lemonade or soda water. The quality of the tonic can dramatically affect the finished drink, which has driven a wave of premium and artisan tonic brands.

Modern tonic water contains only a small amount of quinine for flavour and is sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners. Diet and low-sugar versions are widely available.

Farmed

photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Quinine is extracted from the dried bark of the cinchona tree, which is native to South America but cultivated in tropical regions. The bark is processed to isolate quinine compounds, which are then dissolved in water at low concentrations. This is combined with sweeteners (sugar or high-fructose corn syrup), citric acid, and sometimes botanical flavourings, then carbonated under pressure and bottled.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 34kcal

Protein 0g

Carbs 8.8g

Fat 0g

Fibre 0g Sugar 8.8g

Mass Distribution

1 bottle (11 fl oz) is about 336 g — roughly 110 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈52.18kg

Freshwater ≈13002.18L

Land ≈42.18m²

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

Made from

Cinchona, bark

In the kitchen

Used as

cocktail mixer

Goes well with

gin vodka lime lemon cucumber

Classic dishes

Gin and Tonic
Vodka Tonic
Tom Collins

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Your household's take

One thumb per person, shared with your household — it steers what the wider-web shelf and the swap chips offer you. Tap again to take it back.

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