Schweppes Tonic

Schweppes Tonic: Let the Gin Begin

 

Why would a carbonated, plain, odorless, and bitter tasting beverage be of such importance to the Gin drinking community all over the world? What is so special about Schweppes Tonic? History has it that Mr. Johann Schweppes invented a way to make carbonated beverages by adding the fizz to plain water. Apparently, he did it for its medicinal properties (that is why it is called Tonic) and thereby created a whole new way of drinking Gin. The Gin aficionados remain eternally grateful to Mr. Schweppes for creating this magnificent beverage – the counterpart of to that wonderful spirit, Gin. But the story doesn't quite end there.

 

Mr. Schweppes, in his infinite wisdom and with a sense of human compassion, also added Quinine to the water along with the fizz, making it slightly bitter. Now anybody who has a taste for the bitter knows that the Schweppes Tonic is the best way to get the bitter flavor in their drink without adding actual bitter condiments to it. The Quinine also served another purpose apart from the bitter taste. It naturally fortified against Malaria – which is possibly why the English loved their Gin and Tonic when they came to rule India. The colonial hangover gave the Gin and Tonic beverage an exotic flavor. Anybody now seen drinking this drink is assumed to have traveled across the world, having gone through many adventures, and is now completely satisfied with the good life -- which is where the Gin and Tonic comes in. It is the equivalent of the nostalgic, fuzzy feelings one associates with a warm hearth and home.

 

The Schweppes Tonic is possibly the finest thing invented in the world since sliced bread. The Gin drinking community certainly thinks so. On a sunny summer day, when the breeze is blowing, imagine sitting on the deck in a rocking chair after having mowed the lawn. Imagine the smell of fresh cut grass in the air, the ambient sunlight streaming through the trees and a light summer breeze blowing as you take a sip of your Gin and Tonic. Better than sliced bread, indeed!