If we are talking about Gin and Tonic, we should first briefly talk about what Gin is and how it became so famous in Britain.

Did you know that Gin, almost the national drink of Britans, was originally a Dutch invention?

According to rumours, a doctor named Francius Sylvius invented Gin from juniper for medical purposes in 1550. Even then, this drink was called Genever, not Gin. Why is that? Because it means juniper in Dutch.

The British, on the other hand, met this drink while fighting the Spaniards during the 30-years War. Soldiers consumed this drink both to relax and warm up before the war. Then they took this drink with them as a memory from the front line.

After that, Gin started to be popular in Britain especially in London. There were lots of distillers. But the real popularity came after the William of Orange and his wife Marry took over the throne of the Empire. He encouraged the producers of Gin and the other spirits. People start to manufacture gin even their home. They had and produced gallons of Gin in London.

If the public didn’t start to consume Gin, Gin couldn’t be as popular as now. If the public didn’t start to consume Gin, Gin couldn’t be as popular as now. Gin was cheaper than beer and safer than water so people start to prefer drink gin.

I have told the story of gin until now, the time is come to meet with Tonic. England was following a colonial policy, as you know. British navy to colonize India must drink a liquid medicine include quinine, Tonic, to deal with malaria. But the taste was not only bad but also horrible. Soldiers started to mix it with Gin to develop in the taste.

Winston Churchill once said: “Gin and tonic has saved more British soldiers than doctors in the Empire”

Today’s tonic is not a medicine so you cannot fight with malaria by drinking Gin &Tonic. It has less quinine and more sweeteners.We have to drink 67 litres Gin & Tonic in a day to fight with malaria today. If you want, give it a try 🙂