Introducing Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic

I’ve been a fan of the Pink Gin & Tonic – described as a Gin & Tonic with a dash of Angostura Bitters or a Pink Gin with added tonic – for at least a decade. In fact, it was once my go-to post-work drink.

Some brands have created a Pink Gin (a combination of gin and bitters), so you only have to add tonic, but – until now – there has never been a tonic where the flavours of bitters have been conveniently added.

That has changed in the summer of 2016, with the release of Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic Water, which is made with angostura bark. The tonic also has fresh citrus, cardamom, ginger, and pimento berry (All Spice) as ingredients.

It is worth mentioning that Angostura Bitters made by the House of Angostura (the bottle with the over-sized label) does not actually have angostura bark as an ingredient, although another old brand of bitters, Abbott’s, did.

Both have long been associated with the health and well-being of the sailors of the Royal Navy, with surgeons prescribing angostura bark as an alternative or supplementary anti-fever treatment to quinine bark. As such, it seems like a natural companion to the natural quinine in Fever-Tree Tonic.

On its own
Colour: Pale rose
Nose: Fragrant citrus, along with cola nut, cherry blossom, and woody, aromatic spice.
Fizz: A medium-level of fizz, with a pleasant intensity on the tongue as the bubbles burst.
Taste: Exotic spice to start, then almond and wintergreen, before moving onto cherry and citrus blossom. Pimento and cardamom then make a subtle appearance. This has a long, dry citrus finish with deep and clean, bitter, earthy notes.

Fever-Tree suggest that their Angostura Tonic goes particularly well with juniper-forward gins, so I thought I’d try it out with some of my favourites.

With Plymouth Gin
There is a pleasant harmony between the gin and the tonic, likely in part because of some shared ingredients, including cardamom. There is a sweet lift at the end, accompanied by woody spice notes.

With Hayman’s Royal Dock
The extra strength of flavour and alcoholic power from this combination really gives the drink an additional “Wow!” factor. The gin adds a clean, crisp basis to the drink, whilst the tonic adds a lively character with citrus and spice. Refreshing to the last drop and well-balanced with a bitter finish.

With Makar
The crisp juniper of the gin counteracts the sweeter spice notes of the tonic, resulting in a deep and complex flavour, and a particularly dry Gin Tonic.

With Hayman’s Family Reserve
The light, woody notes and strong botanical flavours work well with the citrus and woody spice of the tonic. The result is a flavoursome mix that still provides lots of refreshment.

With Crossbill 200
Even though the tonic has a strong character, this punchy gin holds its down. The resinous vanilla and juniper wood notes of the gin, along with the floral rosehip, are neatly complementd by the spice and citrus of the tonic, creating a well-rounded drink.

In Conclusion
Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic is a great addition to their range, getting the balance between extra flavour and mixability just right. It is also one of the tastiest tonics to drink on its own, my favourite since I tried Fever-Tree Mediterranean. It also works well when mixed with vodka and I’d love to try it with aquavit.

All-in-all, this is well-worth trying and will be available in Waitrose from July 2016.

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The East India Cocktail II

The East India Cocktail II

A cocktail revisited

 

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who has commented on The First Part of my article on the blog or in The New Sheridan Club newsletter; your encouragement is incredible.

Now, back to the East India Cocktail! I decided to try the cocktail with an olive garnish. Initially, it seems to make little difference to the cocktail, but as I drained the glass and bit into the flesh, a horrendous flavour overtook my mouth; I now know why it was not recommended.

The ominous East India Cocktail with olive garnish.

Following my previous research, I was of the impression that the Raspberry Syrup version of The East India Cocktail was a more recent variation, but whilst looking at O.H. Byron’s Modern Bartender’s Guide I found the following recipe, which shows that both the Pineapple and Raspberry Syrup versions have been around for over a century.

Since the last article, I have been lucky enough to get hold of a bottle of Boker’s Bitters, the vintage cocktail condiment that has recently been resurrected by Adam Elmegirab. As this was part of Johnsson’s original recipe, I thought it would be interesting to compare one made with Boker’s bitters with one made with Angostura. In the interests of completeness, I undertook a second comparison of the bitters using Byron’s recipe, containing Raspberry Syrup.

The East India Cocktail #2 – Stirred
1oz Sherry
1oz Dry Vermouth
1 dash Orange Bitters

Here is another recipe, this time from Old Mr. Boston. Unfortunately, I could find very little history on this one. I chose Lustau’s East India Solera as my sherry, for obvious reasons. This made a crisp drink that was a good contrast to the #1 cocktail. The combination of Sherry and French Vermouth has a similar taste to Italian Vermouth and, in a similar fashion, really stimulates the appetite. Before I mixed this I was dubious, but, once again, I found myself to be pleasantly surprised.

The East India Cocktail #2 with East India Solera Sherry

West India Cocktail – Stir
2oz Gin
4 dashes Angostura Bitters
3 dashes Sugar Syrup
3 dashes Lemon Juice

I really like the idea of the East India having a western counterpart; unfortunately, this version from Derek Nimmo’s “Shaken and Stirred” does not live up to the dream. You will notice that this has more Angostura than sugar syrup or lemon juice and, as such, is rather overpowering. This otherwise dull drink I imagine is somewhat reminiscent reminds me of an occasion when a chap I know tried to make a cocktail with only water and Angostura Bitters. At least it didn’t have an olive in it.

After the disappointment of the last drink, but still being fond of the idea of a West India Cocktail, I came up with this:

West India Cocktail (An Alternative) – Stirred
2 oz Dark Rum
1 tsp Pineapple Syrup
1 tsp Curacao
2 or 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 dashes Maraschino

Bottle of Angostura and Boker's Bitters and The West India Cocktail (Alternative)

This simply substitutes Dark Rum for the Cognac and, to continue the tropical theme, I used Pineapple Juice and Angostura Bitters. Whilst not particularly original, I think it is a fitting tribute to the original. I used Angostura Rum to complement the bitters, which created a cocktail that was reminiscent of the original East India, only made a bit sweeter by the Dark Rum. This variation was a no-brainer, but I did quite like it.

Any more?
I could never say for certain; I have written far more on the East India Cocktail than I would have ever thought possible and new material may yet present itself. For example, I recently heard a story which places the origins of the drink with the East India Club in London, founded in 1867. That would, indeed, coincide with the appearance of the first known published recipes and, in fact, doesn’t necessarily contradict Johnson’s account. My conclusion: more research is needed.

This post is dedicated to Robert Evans Esq. and his fellow members at the East India Club who were the inspirations for these posts.