Tonic, Part I of XXIVIXDMXIV
I'm doing the tonic water research that everyone else is doing right now, and as part of the experiment I decided to make my own. I followed the recipe from Kevin Ludwig from Park Kitchen in Portland as published in Imbibe Magazine.
Luckily, my bag of powdered cinchona bark did not break open like it did for "Food Dude", nor did I spill syrup all over my kitchen. Nor did I cut myself while chopping lemongrass nor burn myself on the oven. So all in all, it was a better cooking experience than when I do it with food.
I also followed suggestions in the comments for that article: allowing the mixture to sit overnight before filtering out the cinchona bark, and not adding the sugar until after the filtering.
But how does it taste? Just okay, I'd say. The initial sip is terrific, with a good balance of sweetness and bitter quinine with a little lingering sharpness. However it doesn't linger for as long as I want it to, and after the second sip my tongue feels like it's coated with bark dust. This "barky tongue" then dominates the flavor in subsequent sips with or without added gin.
I think I'm going to try to filter it a second time and see if it improves but that's going to be harder now with the sugar in it.
Quest for tonic continues!
Luckily, my bag of powdered cinchona bark did not break open like it did for "Food Dude", nor did I spill syrup all over my kitchen. Nor did I cut myself while chopping lemongrass nor burn myself on the oven. So all in all, it was a better cooking experience than when I do it with food.I also followed suggestions in the comments for that article: allowing the mixture to sit overnight before filtering out the cinchona bark, and not adding the sugar until after the filtering.
But how does it taste? Just okay, I'd say. The initial sip is terrific, with a good balance of sweetness and bitter quinine with a little lingering sharpness. However it doesn't linger for as long as I want it to, and after the second sip my tongue feels like it's coated with bark dust. This "barky tongue" then dominates the flavor in subsequent sips with or without added gin.
I think I'm going to try to filter it a second time and see if it improves but that's going to be harder now with the sugar in it.
Quest for tonic continues!
3 Comments:
Oh, no, is that a "PUR" I spy on your Tanqueray bottle?
You gave it up to the Rangpur hussies?!
Say it isn't so!
(I'm sorry I just have "smart" comments and no specific advice about making tonic or that particular recipe. It is an adventure I have yet to embark on.)
However, I believe they have started making their own tonic at Bourbon and Branch, so you might drop by and ask for advice.
Wanna hear something else? I actually like the Rangpur. So there.
Yep I have plans to talk to Todd at B&B and he knows a lot more about cooking than I do so I'll see what I can pick up.
As I noted in my follow up, it just isn't quite as good if you add the sugar in later. Doesn't stay in suspension quite as well, even thought it is easier to filter. Also, doesn't have quite the depth.
If you are having sediment problems, keep filtering. I really dislike the barky tongue, and must have run mine through the filter 4-5 times until it was the translucency of iced tea. My follow up is at http://www.portlandfoodanddrink.com/?p=960
Thanks for the link!
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