what was tᴏnɪc watᴇʀ ᴏʀɪgɪnallʏ usᴇd fᴏʀ? nʏt: unlᴏcᴋɪng hɪddᴇn hɪstᴏʀʏ

tᴏnɪc watᴇʀ’s stᴏʀʏ ᴏffᴇʀs a cuʀɪᴏus glɪᴍpsᴇ ɪntᴏ thᴇ past. ᴏʀɪgɪnallʏ cʀaftᴇd ɪn thᴇ 1800s as a ᴍᴇdɪcɪnal tᴏnɪc, ɪt cᴏntaɪnᴇd quɪnɪnᴇ, a ʙɪttᴇʀ ʙaʀᴋ ᴇxtʀact ʙᴇlɪᴇᴠᴇd tᴏ cᴏᴍʙat ᴍalaʀɪa. ʙʀɪtɪsh sᴏldɪᴇʀs sᴇʀᴠɪng ɪn ɪndɪa ᴍɪxᴇd ɪt wɪth gɪn tᴏ ᴍaᴋᴇ ɪt ᴍᴏʀᴇ palataʙlᴇ, gɪᴠɪng ʙɪʀth tᴏ thᴇ classɪc “gɪn and tᴏnɪc.” tᴏdaʏ, tᴏnɪc watᴇʀ ʀᴇᴍaɪns a pᴏpulaʀ ᴍɪxᴇʀ, ɪts dɪstɪnctɪᴠᴇ quɪnɪnᴇ flaᴠᴏʀ addɪng a ʀᴇfʀᴇshɪng twɪst tᴏ cᴏcᴋtaɪls and ᴍᴏcᴋtaɪls alɪᴋᴇ.