Whole bark recipes are harder to come by, but here is the first one google turned up for me. And here is another, and this one for a plain tonic water. Finally another, heavily spiced.
The three recipes using cinchona bark call for vastly different proportions. Two of the recipes essentially call for a syrup heavy on the sugar--a little less than 1 to 1 with the water. One of the recipes calls for almost a 1/2 to 1. It is the plain tonic recipe
Here's the recipe advocated by the New York Times Magazine, hence written by God himself:
Quinine Syrup
4 cups water
¼ cup (1 ounce/20 grams) cinchona bark, powdered (a coffee grinder does this well)
3-4 cups rich simple syrup (by volume, two parts sugar to one of boiling water, stirred to dissolve)
¼ cup citric acid, also known as lemon salt
3 limes, only the peeled zests
3 lemons, only the peeled zests
2 sour or Sevilla oranges, only the peeled zests (or peel of 1 grapefruit or pomelo)
1 cup chopped lemongrass (3-4 stalks)
9 whole allspice berries
6 whole cardamom pods
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lavender
In a covered saucepan, bring all ingredients except the simple syrup to a boil and reduce heat immediately; simmer on low for a half hour, then remove from heat and allow to cool fully. Transfer to a carafe and chill for two days. Strain through a superfine chinois or cheesecloth, or by using a plunger press coffee maker. Return to carafe and refrigerate for a day or two, allowing sediment to accumulate on bottom. When layer seems stable, gently decant off the clearer liquid without disturbing the sediment “mud.” It should be about 3 cups at this point; add to this liquid an equal measure of rich simple syrup, mixing well. Funnel into a clean, cappable bottle and refrigerate. Makes roughly 6 cups or 1.5 liters.
UPDATE:
Here is a fun article on tonic waters that rates Schwepps above Fever Tree and Q's! Above all else, the article reminds us that the best tonic water is homemade. Yet be cautious! Restraint is the name of the game, and sometimes a clean tonic beats out the botanical. Like everything else, you have to fit the style to the mood.
Here's another recipe from the NY Times. This one appears to be a quick and dirty version. No resting period.
RECIPE
Tonic Syrup
Adapted from Frank Cisneros
- TOTAL TIME
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cinchona bark flakes (see note)
- 1/2 cup finely sliced lemon grass (about 3 stalks)
- Zest of 1/2 lime, removed in long strips
- Zest of 1/2 grapefruit, removed in long strips
- 3 ounces grapefruit juice
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 12 allspice berries
- Citric acid (also known as lemon salt)
- Sugar
Preparation
- 1.
- In a medium saucepan, combine cinchona bark, lemon grass, lime zest and grapefruit zest. Add grapefruit juice, lime juice, allspice berries and 2 cups water. Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and pass through a fine strainer lined with muslin or cheesecloth into a bowl. Allow mixture to rest for at least 30 minutes, then carefully pour off liquid, leaving behind and discarding grainy particulates that have settled at bottom of bowl.
- 2.
- For each cup of the resulting tonic water, add 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon citric acid. Cover and refrigerate until used.
- YIELD
- About 1 pint
NOTE
Cinchona bark flakes are available from Kalustyan’s, (800) 352-3451, kalustyans.com.
