Dave Smith wrote:
>
> Dale P wrote:
> >
> >> 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.
>
> I rarely drink vodka bu I keep a bottle in the freezer and once in a
> while I have a small shot of it ice cold. It's nice that way. I don't
> see the point in mixing it with anything, but if I run out of gin and it
> is a hot summer day vodka and tonic is almost a substitute for gin and
> tonic.
>
> I have to wonder about the benefits of gin and quinine for malaria. A
> friend of mine spends a lot of time in the tropics and refuses to use
> anti malaria medication. My son used it when he was lived in Africa for
> a year. He hated the stuff. He said it made him really strange. Instead
> of taking it once a week he switched to one every week and a half. One
> week he got mixed up and took the dose 3-4 days after the previous one
> and was borderline psychotic for a few days. Now they are finding that
> that stuff can cause all sorts of long term problems.

Malaria can cause all sorts of long term problems... Think lesser of two
evils, much like US elections...