Homemade Tonic Water

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Really tasty tonic that is much better than store bought! Works great as a gift too. I recommend that you freeze small bottles of it and then take them up to thaw in the fridge when needed.

1 cocktail

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water (675 ml)
  • ¼ cup chopped cinchona bark (1 ounce / 28 grams)
  • ¼ cup citric acid (2.2 ounces / 62 grams)
  • 3 limes peeled zests only (0.4 ounce / 11 grams)
  • 3 lemons peeled zests only (0.5 ounce / 14 grams)
  • 2 oranges peeled zests only (0.5 ounce / 14 grams)
  • 3 stalks lemongrass tops and bottoms trimmed and outer leaves removed then sliced into ⅛" to ¼" rounds (2.5 ounces / 71 grams)
  • 4 whole allspice berries
  • 3 whole green cardamom pods
  • 1 tablespoon lavender
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Rich simple syrup

  • 3 cups natural cane sugar (21 ounces / 600 grams)
  • 1 ½ cups water (355 ml)

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients except rich simple syrup in a sterilized, one-quart lidded glass jar. Shake to combine. Refrigerate 72 hours, shaking occasionally, at least once per day.
  2. Make rich simply syrup: dissolve 3 cups sugar in 1 ½ cups water over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool. Transfer to a container and refrigerate.
  3. After 72 hours, strain tonic mixture into a large glass pitcher. Strain tonic a second time, using a coffee filter or very fine cheesecloth.
  4. Whisk simple syrup into tonic until thoroughly combined.
  5. Pour tonic syrup through a funnel into storage bottles and store in the refrigerator.