The intoxicating concoction known as Gin and Tonic (G&T) has been around for centuries and is favorite around the world from many different cultures. The process of making a G&T is simple and takes only a few minutes, but the story behind it packs quite a punch.

The origins of gin date back to the 17th Century where Dutch merchant—living in the Netherlands at the time—called it jenever (Dutch for “Juniper”) as a derivative of their favorite flavor, juniper. Initially, it was used medicinally to treat everything from gout to gallstones and was served as an herbal tea-like concoction containing juniper berries, anise, caraway, ginger, citrus peel and more.

The Discovery of Tonic Water

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the English were desperately searching for a way to ward off malaria while travelling in the tropics. They experimented with various concoctions containing Quinine, which was initially discovered in 1639 by Jesuit Priests in Peru. Quinine is derived from the bark of the Cinchona tree and is known for its anti-malarial properties. While quinine was naturally bitter tasting, it could be sweetened with sugar and other ingredients in order to create a palatable solution.

In 1724, an English Army surgeon named George Cleghorn had a brilliant idea: to mix the quinine with carbonated water and sugar, thus creating what is known today as tonic water. Cleghorn’s idea would have an enormous impact, particularly during the mid-1800s when malaria had reached epidemic proportions. Gin was even added, to make it even more palatable.

Gin, Tonic Water and the Birth of a Drink That Shook the World

By the late 1800s, the combination of gin and tonic water had found its footing in various countries and colonies, such as India, the American colonies and in Great Britain. British soldiers, in particular, embraced the combination as a way to ward off the malaria that was ravaging the tropics.

At the time, the concoction dubbed it “the tonic,” and it was prized for its ability to fortify the constitution against tropical illnesses. As the popularity of the tonic spread, so did the recipe. According to The Story of Gin: An Intoxicating History of the Spirit that Shook Britain, by Rademon O’Connell, when the British forces took over Turkey in the late 1800s, they combined tonic water with the local Turkish drinks, in the form of “alcoholic slings,” which became popular with British soldiers.

These alcoholic slings were the precursor to the modern-day G&T. In 1909, the Schweppes Company in England was the first to start marketing tonic water to the public, which ultimately led to the popularisation of the G&T.

The Re-birth of a Timeless Drink

Over the years, G&T has seen a resurgence in popularity, particularly in recent years. This is partially due to the craft cocktail renaissance, which has seen bartenders using premium gins, such as Tanqueray, Hendricks and Bombay Sapphire, as well as boutique tonic waters such as Fever-Tree Tonic. This has led to a resurgence of upmarket G&Ts made from the finest ingredients, with some bartenders even creating their own custom G&T recipes.

As of 2018, the G&T has become one of the most popular cocktails in the world, with its popularity continuing to grow. And as long as people enjoy the cool, crisp taste of gin and tonic, it’s safe to say that it will continue to be one of the most popular cocktails in the world.

So next time you mix up a G&T or order one off the menu, take a moment to appreciate the rich and complex history behind this timeless cocktail.

Conclusion

Gin and tonic has been around for centuries, and its original iterations were entirely medicinal in nature. However, it was in the 1800s when it truly became a global phenomenon, with the combination of quinine and tonic water becoming the perfect accompaniment for gin, giving it an edge that would propel it to incredible popularity. In recent years, it has seen a revival with bartenders using the finest ingredients to craft their own G&T concoctions.

And so the next time you raise a G&T to your lips, take a moment to appreciate this timeless drink and the extraordinary history behind it.

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