When only real quinine will do

One of the biggest cocktail trends this year has nothing to do with alcohol, but with that quintessential mixer, tonic water. For those of us with long histories of adding Canada Dry and Schweppes to our summer G & T’s, we’ve been buffaloed by synthetic ingredients and high fructose corn syrup. There was nothing on the market to act as alternative, until a few years ago, when a handful of ambitious manufacturers began experimenting with making boutique tonics with natural ingredients. Q Tonic is one, which can be found locally at Sur la Table and Whole Foods. For about $7 per 750 ml bottle, it’s pricier than its mass-produced brethren, but boy, is it better. Q’s short ingredient list includes handpicked Peruvian quinine, purified water, organic agave, natural bitters and lemon juice extract. The result is a complete loss of the hard edges found in commercial brands. It’s also significantly more effervescent. Try it this summer in a gin or vodka tonic, or serve it on ice with an orange wedge and sprig of mint as crisp summer mocktail.