Homemade Tonic Water Syrup
There's nothing wrong with the bottles of tonic you find in any grocery store, but once you make homemade tonic, it's hard to go back. It has so much more flavor! Bursting with citrus, spices, and herbs, it's the perfect balance of sour, sweet, bitter, herbal and floral. Once you source the ingredients, it's simple to make and one batch can last you the whole summer (unless you're us).
Servings: 6 cups concentrated syrup
Ingredients
- 1 quart water (1L)
- 1 pink grapefruit
- 1 blood orange or regular orange
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- 2 1/2 ounces chopped lemongrass (use the bottom 2/3rds of the stalks, trimming off the root and any dry outer layers) 75g (about 5 -8 stalks, depending on size)
- 1 3-inch fresh rosemary sprig
- 3 tablespoons citric acid 33g
- 1/4 cup chopped cinchona bark, lightly crushed 25g
- 6 allspice berries whole
- 5 green cardamom pods lightly crushed
- 2 star anise pods whole
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns whole
For the Simple Syrup
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Peel strips of zest from the citrus fruits using a sharp vegetable peeler (or grate with a microplane). Try to remove just the skin, not the white pith. Add the zest to a medium-sized non-reactive saucepan. Cut the citrus in half and juice directly into the saucepan.*
- Add the water, lemongrass, rosemary, citric acid, cinchona bark, allspice, cardamom, star anise, lavender, salt, and black peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil on high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, cool to room temperature.
- Pour both liquids and solids into a clean, sealable container, such as a large screw-top jar, and refrigerate for 2 days, shaking it gently a couple of times a day.
- When ready to bottle, make the simple syrup by adding the sugar and water into a medium saucepan. Heat on medium-high, stirring often, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. (Can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated).
- Strain the tonic liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or large measuring cup. Discard the solids. Strain the mixture again, this time through a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth, a clean kitchen towel, or a coffee filter. (If using a towel or coffee filter, it will drain slowly, so be patient.)
- Add the cooled sugar syrup, and stir to combine. Carefully pour into clean bottles or screw-top jars and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Storage: The tonic water can be kept for several months in the refrigerator. Don’t tighten the lid, as the tonic water can ferment a little and you want any gas to be able to escape.
TO MAKE ONE GIN (OR VODKA) TONIC
- Combine 2 ounces Homemade Tonic Water Syrup with 2 ounces vodka or gin, and 3 to 4 ounces club soda. Add ice and gently stir to combine. (Use a little more or less syrup to adjust the sweetness of your drink). Garnish with a citrus wedge and a rosemary sprig.
Notes
*If you mix different citrus fruits (orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime), you should end up with about 1 cup of juice. If you use only lemons and/or limes, reduce to 3/4 of a cup to prevent the mix from being too tart. Taste the syrup once you've combined it with the tonic and if it's too sour, add a little more sugar until you like the balance.
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