# What to do with tonic water? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 18, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045 "2008-01-18T17:38:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/1 "2008-01-18T17:38:49Z")
Maybe I should be afraid to ask, but recently I was shopping and found a decent deal. It was a case of drinks that was much cheaper than soda. Of course, in my money-saving efforts, I never considered it completely. I looked at the package: Ginger Ale, Club Soda, and Tonic Water. Well, 2/3 isn’t bad, thought I. Now that I’m running low on the Club Soda and Ginger Ale, I tried a can of Tonic Water. Not the best drink alone, but I know it can be used to make something, right? What do I use my 5 cans for? Brendon Small ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/2 "2008-01-18T17:41:41Z")
[QUOTE=brendon\_small] What do I use my 5 cans for? [/QUOTE] Preventing malaria. ETA: Ah, shit, maybe [not](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990813.html). ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/3 "2008-01-18T17:42:51Z")
Mix it with vodka. Drink. Repeat. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/4 "2008-01-18T17:47:32Z")
[QUOTE=DianaG] Mix it with vodka. Drink. Repeat. [/QUOTE] Heathen. Gin. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/5 "2008-01-18T17:48:14Z")
Gin, really. Go with the classics. I like it straight myself. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/6 "2008-01-18T17:48:56Z")
We’re rather fond of mixing tonic and fruit juice. The bitter tonic does a good job of cutting the sweetness of the juice, esp if you use something that usually is obnoxiously sweet on its own (ie. Concord grape or fruit punch). Of course, it’s even better if you then add some vodka or gin. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/7 "2008-01-18T17:50:00Z")
Tequila & Tonic. Gin & Tonic. Vodka & Tonic. All good. Add a squeeze of lime or lemon to any of them. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/8 "2008-01-18T18:09:24Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] Tequila & Tonic. [/QUOTE] I’m going to make one of these when I get home, but I do not expect good results. That sounds positively awful. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/9 "2008-01-18T18:12:18Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] I’m going to make one of these when I get home, but I do not expect good results. That sounds positively awful. [/QUOTE] No kidding. Tequila and tonic? Yikes. I do like Tequila and Squirt, though, so I guess it’s not _that_ out of the question. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/10 "2008-01-18T18:30:54Z")
Another vote for booze. Vodka is my preference, but gin will certainly do. A lime in the vodka is a must. Gotta prevent scurvy somehow. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/11 "2008-01-18T18:35:22Z")
Gin! just Gin, and always Gin! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/12 "2008-01-18T18:35:51Z")
Rum and tonic is surprisingly good, especially if you use good rum. I stay away from Bacardi myself, and drink Don Q like the Puerto Ricans do. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/13 "2008-01-18T18:38:22Z")
[QUOTE=shy guy] No kidding. Tequila and tonic? Yikes. I do like Tequila and Squirt, though, so I guess it’s not _that_ out of the question. [/QUOTE] The TNT. Not my fave, but I’ll do it from time to time. You CAN use your good tequila if you want, but cheaper stuff works all right since the tonic water is so sweet. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/14 "2008-01-18T18:42:33Z")
[QUOTE=Lanzy] Gin! just Gin, and always Gin! [/QUOTE] Agreed. I used to hate both gin and tonic on their own, but when combined, something sublime happens. And, yeah, don’t forget the lime–it’s a key component. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/15 "2008-01-18T19:03:46Z")
Gin, of course. (And yes, the lime is essential.) Adding lemonade gives you an approximation of Schweppes Bitter Lemon, one of my favorite sodas of all time. Orange juice gives you Bitter Orange. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/16 "2008-01-18T19:04:57Z")
[QUOTE=Mahna Mahna] We’re rather fond of mixing tonic and fruit juice. The bitter tonic does a good job of cutting the sweetness of the juice, esp if you use something that usually is obnoxiously sweet on its own (ie. Concord grape or fruit punch). [/QUOTE] My wife is fanatical about this. She started drinking tonic water on her doctor’s advice to ease leg cramps, and was messing about with ways to make it taste less like ass. Fruit juice is the key. She’ll put a couple of fingers of fruit juice in a glass, and the rest tonic water. It is very, very refreshing, she says. She goes through that stuff by the 2-liter bottle. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/17 "2008-01-18T19:18:16Z")
I disagree with lime. It just takes away from the magic that is gin and tonic. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/18 "2008-01-18T19:46:33Z")
[QUOTE=Troy McClure SF] I disagree with lime. It just takes away from the magic that is gin and tonic. [/QUOTE] I’m not talking a lot of lime here, I just mean a sliver for its essential oils. It’s a nice grace note that takes the G&T over the top for me–like that dash of bitters in your whiskey Old Fashioned. Just a dab’ll do ya. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/19 "2008-01-18T19:51:10Z")
I like tonic with a splash of bitters and a squeeze of lime. Also tonic with a splash of sour mix gets pretty close to Bitter Lemon, my favorite soft drink ever but very hard to get in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045/20 "2008-01-18T19:58:43Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Agreed. I used to hate both gin and tonic on their own, but when combined, something sublime happens. And, yeah, don’t forget the lime–it’s a key component. [/QUOTE] Try adding just a dash of salt, too. Yum. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-tonic-water/434045.md?page=2)