Gin and Tonic

Most two part drinks have very little history. The combination of a liquor with a wash is normally just a way to cut the strong taste of a booze or to add a little flavor to or hide the liquor within a cocktail. The gin and tonic, however, has a slightly more interesting history.

Roots in Medicine

Both gin and tonic have origins deeply rooted in medicine.

Gin first appeared in the mid-1600s when Dr. Franciscus de la Boë, a professor of medicine at Leyden, Holland, created a juniper flavored diuretic that he called Genever, the Dutch word for juniper. He intended the concoction to be used for kidney disorders, but it quickly grew in popularity as an enjoyable spirit.

When the British began to populate India, many people contracted malaria. Tonic water was introduced as a remedy to malaria, due to its high levels of quinine. Because of its bitter taste, it was difficult to get people to drink it, despite its helpful effects. In order to make the drink more tolerable, gin was added to the mix.

Just as gin had become popular as a spirit centuries before, the gin and tonic began to take on a new role as a favorite drink of the people, rather than a medicine.

The Gin and Tonic

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Gin
  • 5 oz Tonic
  • Lime cut into wedges

Combine the gin and tonic in a highball glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. Enjoy.

Copyright of Drinkmatron.com.  Contact website admin to obtain permission for republication.

Comments

3 responses to “Gin and Tonic”

  1. JillyB Avatar
    JillyB

    Huh, I knew it had medicinal roots but I didn’t really know the story. That’s pretty cool! Did it actually work or no?
    By the way, the site is coming along fabulously! I was looking at your content list…Nice!

  2. Francisca Avatar

    Hi, love the website. I have a question related to what you were talking about, it seems that when I drink too much rum or any drink other than vodka I don’t have a bad hangover (no matter if it’s cheap drink or an expensive drink), but whenever I drink vodka, even if I don’t get drunk, I can’t even get out of bed the next day. Is there like a scientific explanation for that? Why some drinks make me feel worst than others?

  3. Drink Matron Avatar
    Drink Matron

    Hey Francisca! Thanks for the comment! It’s funny you should ask, because we actually did an story on just that a couple of weeks ago. Check it out http://drinkmatron.com/2011/01/21/why-does-cheap-vodka-give-me-such-a-terrible-hangover/
    Thanks again!! 😀
    DM

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *