Tonic water was originally a medicinal drink that inherited its health properties from an ingredient called quinine. Tonic water is now more commonly used as a cocktail or mocktail mixer, but it still contains quinine.
What Is Quinine?
Quinine is derived from the bark of the evergreen cinchona tree that grows primarily in Central America, tropical Africa, and the Caribbean.
It is a bitter substance that is sometimes prescribed to treat leg cramps, restless leg syndrome, and to kill the parasite that causes malaria, but has fallen out of favor as a type of medicine because it has serious side effects even when taken in moderate doses, such as excessive bleeding, kidney damage, and heart arrhythmias.
Quinine is responsible for the bitter flavor of tonic water that allows it to mix so well with gin, vodka, and anything citrus. It also appears in bitter lemon.
Health Benefits Of Quinine
When consumed in small enough doses to be safe, quinine doesn’t really have health benefits. In fact, since it is usually mixed with sugar to disguise some of the bitterness, it can be a carrier for lots of unnecessary daily calories.
But let’s see what the science says.
- At doses of 200-300 milligrams per day, which is the equivalent of 68-101 ounces (2-3 liters) of tonic water per day, it can treat muscle cramps. It can reduce the number of muscle cramps by 28 percent, cramp intensity by 10 percent, and days during which cramps are experienced by 20 percent.
- However, at these doses, it increases your risk of premature death primarily because of heart attack by 25-83 percent.
- It isn’t possible to drink enough tonic water to keep the level of Quinine sufficiently high in your blood to kill the malaria parasite.
- The consumption of tonic water, and even the rinsing of your mouth with tonic water, can increase your peak athletic performance over a cycling or running sprint, not when it is ingested, but probably because the taste activates emotional and motor performance centers in the brain.
With these very limited health benefits, it is better to think of quinine-rich tonic water as a tasty drink that is harmful when consumed in excess, rather than as a health drink.
Originally, medicinal tonic water consisted of carbonated water mixed with a large amount of quinine, but quinine is now included in very small amounts because of the potential side effects.
The FDA allows only 83 parts of quinine per million parts of other ingredients in tonic water, which is such a minuscule amount that producers do not even report how much they include.
Let’s have a look at the list. We have separated this list into brands that you can buy in the U.S. and those available outside of the U.S. (including the U.K., Australia and Germany).
Tonic Water With Quinine Available In The U.S.
Q Tonic Water
One of the most popular tonic water brands, Q makes all its tonic waters with quinine obtained all the way from Peru. Moreover, they use agave nectar instead of cane sugar or the incredibly unhealthy high fructose corn syrup to sweeten their water.
With strong carbonation and fairly little sweetness, they make dry tonic waters that are on the bitter side.
You can choose between their Spectacular Tonic Water that contains 40 calories per 6.7 oz bottle and their Light Tonic Water that contains only 15 calories per 6.7 oz.
Fever-Tree Tonic Water
Fever-Tree is equally popular and calls its offerings Premium Indian Tonic Water, with the company acquiring its quinine from trees in the eastern hill forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In fact, since the colloquial name for the cinchona tree is the fever tree, this brand is named after its quinine.
In addition to its quinine, it also contains botanical oils like bitter orange and it is sweetened with pure cane sugar.
Their Premium Indian Tonic Water contains 70 calories per 6.7 oz bottle, while their Refreshingly Light Tonic Water contains only 30.
If you want to be more adventurous, you can try the Refreshingly Light Cucumber Tonic Water Which contains the same quinine, is sweetened with fructose, but has a strong cucumber taste.
Canada Dry Tonic Water
The least pretentious candidate on the list, Canada Dry Tonic Water is available everywhere, from Amazon two Walmart and comes in cans, as well as plastic and glass bottles.
With its 90 calories per eight ounces, it is fairly sweet, but the bitterness of the quinine is very obvious. You can also drink it as a soda instead of mixing it with other drinks.
Polar Premium Tonic Water
This tonic water is widely available from Walmart, convenience stores, or, of course, online from Amazon.
At 90 calories per eight ounces, it is high in sugar, but the quinine ensures that it is not very sweet. In fact, with the sweetness and bitterness balanced so well, it is a neutral-tasting brand.
Schweppes Tonic Water
Schweppes Tonic Water can trace its origin back to 1783 when mineral water and quinine were carbonated and bottled. King William IV of England was a fan.
It also contains 90 calories per eight ounces and is also pleasant to drink as a caffeine-free soda. Just be careful; it does contain high fructose corn syrup, which is one of the least healthy forms of sugar.
Top Note Classic Tonic Water
With its natural quinine and cane sugar, Top Note Classic Tonic Water Contains 80 calories per 8.5 oz bottle. It carries a definite citrus flavor because of some lemon and lime zest.
As a result, it offers a bit of sourness in addition to the bitterness of the quinine and sweetness of the sugar. Americans will also be happy to know that it is made in the USA.
Zevia Tonic Water
Foamy and with Long-lasting bubbles, Zevia Tonic Water takes the low-calorie approach to is most extreme. They market the product as zero sugar, zero calories, and zero guilt because it contains the zero-calorie sweetener called stevia, perfect for those who want to reduce their sugar intake.
The presence of quinine means that it is quite bitter and it includes only natural plant-based ingredients.
Tonic Water With Quinine Available Outside The U.S.
Britvic Indian Tonic Water
The pride of Britain, Britvic Indian Tonic Water is available mostly in the United Kingdom and online. Like the other brands on this list, it contains quinine and takes a low-calorie approach with a sweetener called saccharin that does not contain any carbohydrates. Accordingly, a 6.7 oz bottle holds only 26.5 calories.
It can be used either as a mixer or enjoyed on its own. It comes in bottles and cans.
Three Cents Tonic Water
Greece’s contribution to this list, Three Cents Tonic Water actually has a drawing of the cinchona tree on its label to pay its dues to quinine. Look for it on Amazon in the UK.
It is free of artificial sweeteners, flavorings, and preservatives and is 100 percent plant-based.
Fentimans Valencian Orange Tonic Water
Fentimans is a British brand and Amazon delivers its Valencian Orange Tonic Water to the United States and to Australia. Given the name, it is unsurprising that it is made of Valencian oranges, lemons, and, of course, quinine and carbonated water.
It contains no artificial ingredients, is completely plant-based, and carries only 8.37 calories per 384 oz bottle.
Thomas Henry Tonic Water
A German contribution to the list, Thomas Henry Tonic Water has as high a quinine content as is permitted by law. While the company does not report the amount of sugar it includes, it is the second ingredient on the label and can thus be assumed to be pretty high.
It has a citrus taste because of natural citrus flavorings and is also suitable for vegans because of being completely plant-based.
CAPI Sparkling Tonic
CAPI Sparkling Tonic Is an Australian brand made of 99 percent Australian ingredients. The bitter quinine, which is not Australian, is complemented by lemon, lime, and orange essential oils.
It contains no preservatives and only natural products. The sweetness comes from Sucrose, the main ingredient of cane and beet sugar.
Is There Tonic Water Without Quinine?
Tonic water has become synonymous with quinine, and almost all brands certainly contain it. But at least two brands have recently sprung up that proudly market themselves as quinine-free.
Love Tonic Water Is available from some shops and pubs in the UK and, while they are cagey about the ingredients in their tonic water, they state up front that it is quinine-free.
Cushiedoos is a Scottish brand that has existed for longer and is sometimes available on Amazon in the UK. They state that they use yellow gentian and wormwood to achieve the bitterness and that this allows them to use 24 percent less sugar than typical tonic waters do.
Gentian is a root from a plant that grows all over the world, while wormwood is a bitter herb native to Europe that is deadly in large amounts and was accordingly banned in the United States until 2007.
The point of quinine-free tonic water is to make a 100 percent safe tonic water available to people for whom even small amounts of quinine may be harmful, especially those with heart rhythm problems.
