Tonic Water

https://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/how-to-make-your-own-tonic-water/

Ingredients

• • 4 cups water

  • 1 cup chopped lemongrass (roughly one large stalk)

  • ¼ cup powdered cinchona bark

  • zest and juice of 1 orange

  • zest and juice of 1 lemon

  • zest and juice of 1 lime

  • 1 tsp whole allspice berries

  • ¼ cup citric acid

  • ¼ tsp Kosher salt

• 1. Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.

  2. Once mixture starts to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

  3. Remove from heat and strain out solids using a strainer or chinois.

  4. You'll need to fine-strain the mixture, as it still contains quite a bit of the cinchona bark.

  5. You can use a coffee filter and wait for an hour or more, or do as I do and run the whole mixture through a French coffee press.

  6. Once you're satisfied with the clarity of your mix, heat it back up on the stovetop or microwave, and then add ¾ cup of agave syrup to each cup of your hot mix.

  7. Stir until combined, and store in the attractive bottle of your choice.

  8. You now have a syrup that you can carbonate with seltzer water; I use my iSi soda siphon for some nicely-textured bubbles.

  9. To assemble a gin and tonic, use ¾ ounce of syrup, 1½ ounces of gin and 2 ounces of soda water over ice.