Cucumber Watermelon Gin and Tonic

By Cindy On July 2, 2012 · Leave a Comment

One of my favorite cocktails is the gin and tonic — simple, crisp and refreshing on a late summer afternoon. As you probably know, gin is an English alcoholic spirit flavored with juniper berries, but what exactly is tonic? Sounds like medicine doesn’t it?

Actually tonic water originated as a form of medicine to help prevent people from getting malaria. Originally tonic water contained only carbonated water and quinine, as an antimalarial agent. Quinine is very bitter and gin was added to make the drink more palatable. Today’s tonic water is usually sweetened with corn syrup or sugar, an addition surely devised over time to counter the bitter taste.

An interesting thing about quinine is that it is fluorescent, meaning that the molecule absorbs high-energy ultraviolet light (like from a black light) and gives off light of lower energy. Place a bottle of quinine-containing tonic water in bright sunlight and you may be able to detect a faint blue tinge.

Cucumber Watermelon Gin and Tonic

Ingredients (Makes One Cocktail)
2 oz. Watermelon Juice
1 oz. Cucumber Juice
1 oz. Gin
2 oz. Tonic Water
Squeeze of Lime Juice

I juiced the watermelon and cucumber by putting big chunks into the food processor until smooth and then straining out the “pulp”. To make the cocktail, just combine ingredients over ice, stir, and enjoy with friends.

If you live in or are traveling to the tropics, don’t rely on gin and tonic to stay malaria free. Most strains of malaria today are quinine resistant, and the amount present in the tonic water today is much lower than would be required to be effective. Still, after a long day, a gin and tonic with a slice of lime can be good “tonic” for unwinding before dinner.