Quick question

[Lynchmeister]

I was reading through Tim's thread on how people drink their whisk(e)y and it raised a question for me. I didn't want to hijack his thread, so here goes:

What's the difference between Club Soda and Tonic? Is it that tonic has quinine? And if so, what is quinine?

Thanks for bearing with me .

[Doc4]

Okay, here's half an answer.

Yeah, they're different. Yeah, tonic water has quinine (some sort of a drug to help fight malaria ... one of the two main reasons the British Empire drank so much gun fizz ... the other reason being the gin, natch). I always have found club soda to be a 'drier' and a bit fizzier drink ... beyond that ... well, here's where we get into the half of the answer that's missing ...

[Lynchmeister]

Now that I've returned from the kitchen and have my vodka sour in hand, it's given me time to ponder this a bit more. I wonder what a gin and soda would be like? In other words, I wonder if the quinine has an effect on the taste of the gin, because under normal circumstances, the juniper in the gin is too overpowering for me...too dry. In a gin and tonic, though, I find the gin to be almost sweet and sour simultaneously...might have to try out the soda for the sake of experimentation.

[Doc4]

Now that I've returned from the kitchen and have my vodka sour in hand, it's given me time to ponder this a bit more. I wonder what a gin and soda would be like? In other words, I wonder if the quinine has an effect on the taste of the gin, because under normal circumstances, the juniper in the gin is too overpowering for me...too dry. In a gin and tonic, though, I find the gin to be almost sweet and sour simultaneously...might have to try out the soda for the sake of experimentation.

Sounds like a subject for intensive testing ...

[DangoS]

Wiki on Soda water

Wiki on Tonic water

Quinine glows under UV light, plus other cool things.... like tasting great with gin.

[ouch]

Wiki on Soda water

Wiki on Tonic water

Quinine glows under UV light, plus other cool things.... like tasting great with gin.

I have a really cool UV flashlight*, and I'll have to try that out.



*For the sake of your sanity, do not bring it along on vacation.

[DangoS]

I have a really cool UV flashlight*, and I'll have to try that out.



*For the sake of your sanity, do not bring it along on vacation.

HA! That made me laugh out loud.

[catatonic]

Sorry for the offtopic, but since the question has to do with club soda...I assume it's halfway relevant....

Is Club Soda and unflavored Seltzer Water the same? I've tried them both at different times, just never had the chance to actually sit down and compare them side by side.

[TimmyBoston]

Is Club Soda and unflavored Seltzer Water the same? I've tried them both at different times, just never had the chance to actually sit down and compare them side by side.

They are very similar. Club Soda has a very small amount of sodium. Seltzer is just plain carbonated water.

But often the names are used interchangeably. Often the products are interchanged as well.

[TimmyBoston]

Also something to keep in mind for dieters and calorie counters, Tonic Water is loaded with sugar, but you can't taste it because of the bitterness of the quinine. Club Soda is calorie free.

[Lynchmeister]

Also something to keep in mind for dieters and calorie counters, Tonic Water is loaded with sugar, but you can't taste it because of the bitterness of the quinine. Club Soda is calorie free.

Ahhhh...hence the diet tonic? I may just switch over to the diet tonic for my G&T needs...

Like you said, you can't taste the sugar anyway.

[Wayne D]

I have a really cool UV flashlight*, and I'll have to try that out.



*For the sake of your sanity, do not bring it along on vacation.

in nightclubs I always drink gin and tonic, if someone slips a drug into your drink it will not glow bright blue , it will will glow a different colour depending on what the added drug is.

a nice safety marker for people

[Lynchmeister]

in nightclubs I always drink gin and tonic, if someone slips a drug into your drink it will not glow bright blue , it will will glow a different colour depending on what the added drug is.

a nice safety marker for people

Huh...so during my semester abroad in Scotland, it was something other than being "slipped a mickey" that caused me to dance and think that I was good!

[TimmyBoston]

Ahhhh...hence the diet tonic? I may just switch over to the diet tonic for my G&T needs...

Like you said, you can't taste the sugar anyway.

Personally,I wouldn't. I've tried and I already drink Diet Coke and the like but IMO Diet Tonic is absolutely disgusting. If you really are watching very, very, very closely, go with Club Soda over tonic, but I'll warn you, it's not very good either.

Best for the calories, is another clear spirit, just not gin, and mix it with Diet Cola, definately the way to go for a very low calorie cocktail or they're always the very dry martini as a reasonably low call option.

[Lynchmeister]

Personally,I wouldn't. I've tried and I already drink Diet Coke and the like but IMO Diet Tonic is absolutely disgusting. If you really are watching very, very, very closely, go with Club Soda over tonic, but I'll warn you, it's not very good either.

Best for the calories, is another clear spirit, just not gin, and mix it with Diet Cola, definately the way to go for a very low calorie cocktail or they're always the very dry martini as a reasonably low call option.

Ok, scratch the diet tonic. I just assumed they would taste the same...

Thanks for the heads-up. Now I won't waste the money.

[crowdog]

What you don't want to do is mistake 7 up for soda water...!!

I worked at a resort and went to get a free pop for my shift to drink during the night. It was before our bar opened so the bartender said just get youself from the hand machine.

Well being an idiot, I thought "S" would be "sprite", when in fact it was the L for an upside down 7.

After I about threw up, I was more careful in my pop needs.

Marty

[ada8356]

Ok, scratch the diet tonic. I just assumed they would taste the same...

Thanks for the heads-up. Now I won't waste the money.

I use diet Tonic all the time with vodka and don't have any problem with it.

MMMmmmmm Diet Tonic + Absolut Ruby Red.

Edit: Also, if you've never tried tonic then you don't exactly have a frame of reference... just start with the diet tonic so you won't have the 'real' stuff to compare it to! ;-)

[sparkchaser]

I prefer my gin neat. Ice cold and neat.

[Lynchmeister]

I prefer my gin neat. Ice cold and neat.

You must be tough as nails!

"....hey, ah...which way to the weight room?..."



Just kidding! I suppose as with anything, though, with a quality gin, this is probably very doable.

Ignore me, I'm just having flashbacks of the warm shots of Beefeater we did once back in college before heading out to the bars in an effort to defray the cost of drinks...all we had was a lone bottle of the Beef...hehe...damn kids!

Disclaimer: I enjoy Beefeater, but not warm, and not as a shot.