Drinker’s Market: Boylan Heritage Tonic Edition

Tonic has long been inseparable from its classic companion, gin. But a new wave of quinine-based syrups and sodas have proven just how versatile a good tonic can be. Here are five cocktails that break the traditional G & T mold. 

AUGUST 15, 2014 / story: PUNCH STAFF / photos: JOSH WILLIAMS

The classic combination of herbal gin with dry and snappy tonic is beloved the world over, from teenagers in Spain to partiers in Hong Kong to croquet-playing ladies in South Carolina. A global phenomenon since the 1800s, the G & T needs no introduction. But gin’s eternal permutability begs the question, does tonic exist only to serve gin’s whims?While the British were busy colonizing the wilds of India and Africa in the 19th century, tonic was used to stave off malaria (thanks to its key Rx ingredient, quinine)—hence its path into a glass of gin with lime. But just because tonic’s introduction to cocktails was through England’s spirit of choice, doesn’t bind it exclusively to a Collins glass. With a recent wave of quinine-based syrups and sodas creeping onto grocers’ shelves, tonic has begun to steal the limelight, sans gin. And likewise, it’s begun to find its way into cocktails without a trace of juniper.