"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...
> brooklyn1 wrote:
>
>>> It was developed by the Brits when they were in India. The tonic
>>> (quinine water) was thought to counter the malaria, and the gin made it
>>> tolerable to drink.
>>>
>>>
>> I can't agree with the "tolerable to drink" part, plenty of folks drink
>> gin neat, in fact it's the only way to drink top shelf gin.
>
>
> The idea of adding the gin to the quinine was to make the quinine
> tolerable. I usually have gin with tonic but I occasionally have it with a
> little ice and a twist of lemon. It is quite tasty.
>
Exactly, it was to make the quinine water tolerable. The amount of quinine
used to counter malaria was most likely much stronger than today's tonic.

It was only in the last couple of decades that vodka in the US could be
flavored. BATF used to state that vodka was a clear, unflavored product.
The liquor makers put on the pressure to get the standard changed. The
flavor appeals to the young (Pepsi generation) drinkers. I have not and
will not buy a flavored vodka. When we were in Russia, we would buy a five
star vodka, and it was great for sipping or for shots.

Later,

DP