The perfect tonic for any occasion: East Imperial Tonic notes and pairings
Call off the water dogs, the only tonic water for your cocktailing needs is here.
Tonic Water was originally devised to help prevent Malaria back in the early 1800s. Trouble was, it tasted awful, so oftentimes Gin would be added to help mask the bitter quinine taste that makes tonic water what it is. But the resulting combination is so much more than the sum of its parts.
Gin and tonic make a wonderful partnership and we just got a select offering from New Zealand’s East Imperial Beverages. Each tonic is made from all natural Asian sourced ingredients.
Like Malcom Gladwell notes in his famous Spaghetti Sauce Ted Talk, there’s a tonic for everyone. See our offering below and pick the one that’s right for you.
Burma
This tonic water captures the contemporary taste of tonic with added citric acid and a higher sugar level. Burma Tonic Water has double the natural cane sugar of East Imperial Tonic Water and has the highest quinine levels available in the market. This is rounded out with top notes of Thai lemongrass and manao lime to perfectly balance a few dashes of bitters.
Burma Tonic with the more traditional citrus driven and London dry style gin, like Bitter Truth Pink Gin.
Old World
This is the champagne of tonic waters. The subtle flavors of the gin once masked by other tonics will start to shine through. Because there is only a trace of natural citric acid and less than half the sugar of Schweppes or Fever Tree, you are free to craft the perfect G&T the way you want, adding natural citrus flavours or sweeteners to suit. Recommended pairing with the more bold herbaceous new western style gins, such as Oregon’s New Deal No. 1 Gin.
Grapefruit
The grapefruit wasn’t discovered until the 18th century and botanists believe it is the result of crossbreeding sweet oranges of Barbados with the pomelo, a citrus fruit native to Indonesia. Harry Craddock, who was known in the 1930s for his fantastic cocktails at iconic London destinations, The Savoy and The Dorchester Hotel, in his journals and recipes often spoke of using the ‘forbidden fruit’ and his secrets remained somewhat a mystery until recent years. Inspired by Craddock, East Imperial has taken the South East Asian Pomelo, which delivers a deep rich orange note and carefully blended it with Ruby Red Grapefruit, resulting in a tonic which delivers the ultimate citrus balance. We recommend pairing Grapefruit Tonic with Cutwater Old Grove Gin.
Yuzu
Yuzu is an aromatic sweet citrus fruit with distinct zesty flavor, often described as a hybrid between a mandarin and a Meyer lemon.
Introduced to South East Asia at the turn of the last century, it brought a unique and exceptional citrus brightness and was soon embraced by the more discerning cocktail drinker.
Based on our 1903 recipe, Yuzu Tonic is the perfect way to bring a touch of the exotic to any mixed drink. We recommend pairing Yuzu Tonic with traditional London dry gins and citrus-forward spirits, like Distillery No. 209 Gin.
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