Friday, January 7, 2011

Blah.

I've got one or two oh god my job posts I could do but neither of them is funny so I'm gonna leave em lay and discuss my next experiment instead.

Fairly recently, DM turned me on to a wonderful drink called a Tom Collins, along with it's slightly less fruity cousin the Gin and Tonic. Until now, I've sort of been of the opinion that gin was nasty bathtub liquor that sat at the back of a cabinet somewhere. You never knew exactly where it came from, and when you poured the last few drops of the good stuff it stared mournfully at you, wondering why it wasn't good enough.

Now, I know better. But I still have a problem. I do enjoy an occasional Collins just to sip on, but I'm faced with the dilemma of deciding whether to have good flat tonic water, or not good fizzy tonic water. Because I won't use a big bottle of the good stuff before it goes flat, and the bitty bottles of the cheap stuff just aren't good.

So, my proposed experiment: See if I can make my own tonic water, using a seltzer bottle.

I know I can get quinine from the granola crunching supplement people. I can make simple syrup for sweetening without gumming up the bottle. The question is whether I have the ability to balance things and make it tasty, and how many ways I can flavor it.

More updates as I actually get the things needed for this experiment and attempt it. I do need a steady supply of decent tonic water.

What? I don't want to get malaria, do you?

8 comments:

Jennifer said...

Meh. Just pour your gin in a martini glass and add an olive or 2. Bacon stuffed olives are great. Splash in some of the olive juice and you're golden.
I've no interest in you getting malaria.

Robert said...

I do like a good gin & tonic but the conundrum of the big, cheap bottle of tonic vs. little, expensive bottle reduces my enjoyment. Cheapskate would-be drunkards (OK, just me) eagerly await your results. Unfortunately, Cecil of The Straight Dope debunked my anti-malaria rationalization for getting liquored up, darn it. You would give up drinking via nuking your liver before getting any malaria protection.

FarmGirl said...

Shhhhh Robert like many distinguished gin drinkers before me I maintain that I only add a splash of gin to my tonic to make it more palateable. It's all about preventing *hic* malaria.

On a Wing and a Whim said...

Oooh, I look forward to this experiment! Especially since Labrat found sources of cane-sugar sweetened tonic water!

Old NFO said...

Um... minor issue... Quinine tends to screw up your inner ear, so I'd agree with Jenn... :-)

DixieLaurel said...

I don't think you can buy quinine without a prescription anymore. But, good luck.

JC said...

Quinine (even in the homeopathic concentration found in tonic) is also good in the avoidance of muscle cramps. True! The late father-in-law, a noted physician swore by it.
The G/T, however, has always been a warm-weather drink for me. And don't forget the lime, to ward off scurvy.

Kristophr said...

Here ya go:

http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/2008/how-to-make-your-own-tonic-water/

If you want to carbonate it yourself, you will want to buy a cornelius keg and a CO2 bottle. A homebrew place can help you there.