Topping Off With The Right Tonic

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

While tonic water has been consumed since 1825 to ward off malaria, artisanal brands have been creeping into the market for the past few years. Beverage companies such as Q Tonic, Stirrings, and Fever-Tree replace the high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavorings used by soft-drink giants, such as Canada Dry or Seagram’s, with ingredients such as organic agave syrup, cane sugar, and fruit and flower oils.

Tonic water gains its name from the antidotal qualities of its main ingredient, quinine, which also gives the drink its slightly bitter taste. Originally developed by English explorers in Africa and South Asia, tonic water today retains its association with tropical climates — mainly through its role as a chief ingredient in summer cocktails.

Q Tonic, developed by a New York native, Jordan Silbert, is sweetened with organic agave syrup, a honey-like nectar harvested from the agave plant. This tonic contains far less sugar than any of the other brands — one-third of the amount in Schweppes and Canada Dry, and less than half of the amount in Fever-Tree. Its carbonation is high and smooth, and it is flavored with handpicked quinine from the Peruvian Andes. It is also the priciest, going for about $10 for a pack of four sleek-looking bottles.

England-based Fever-Tree, which began distributing in America in 2007, is newer on the scene in New York, and aims for a different flavor profile than Q Tonic. Flavored with orange, lemon, and marigold oils and sweetened with cane sugar, it has a similar carbonation level to that of Q, and is also preservative-free and low-sodium. Fever-Tree’s sugar level is far more generous than that of Q — though the amount is still only 75% of that found in generic tonics. A package of four bottles costs about $6.

Stirrings, a Massachusetts-based company, contains about the same amount of cane sugar as Fever-Tree, and prides itself on a finer carbonation that achieves a “champagne-like” texture. Flavored with citric acid and cinchona bark (the source of quinine), it is sodium-free, unlike Fever-Tree and Q, both of which have a small amount of salt to balance the sour taste of quinine. It also does not have preservatives, and costs $5 for a pack of four bottles.

Riding the wave of specialty tonic waters, “all-natural” tonics are also widely made by 365, the Whole Foods store brand, and Hansen’s, an all-natural beverage company. Both of these are far cheaper than Q and Fever-Tree, and are preservative- and sodium-free, but contain the same amount of sugar as Schweppes and Canada Dry; Hansen’s is sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, while 365 contains cane sugar.

All aforementioned tonics are available at Whole Foods grocery stores; Fever-Tree can also be found at the Food Emporium, and Q is carried at Dean & DeLuca, Garden of Eden, Gourmet Garage, and Westside Market.


The New York Sun

© 2024 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use