History
This cocktail was introduced by the army of the British East India Company in India.
In India and other tropical regions, malaria was a persistent problem. In the 1700s it was discovered that quinine could be used to treat the disease, although the bitter taste was unpleasant. British officers in India in the early 19th century took to adding a mixture of water, sugar, lime and gin to the quinine in order to make the drink more palatable. Since it is no longer used as an antimalarial, tonic water today contains much less quinine, is usually sweetened, and is consequently much less bitter.
It has been said that the flavor of the quinine complements the green notes of the gin (flavored with juniper), much as dry vermouth complements the gin in a classic martini.
Because of its historical connection with warm climates, gin and tonic is a popular cocktail during the warmer months.
Read more about this topic: Gin And Tonic
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