ottawa foodies

I am starting to really enjoy my G+T's (Gin and Tonic) with either Bombay Sapphire or Henricks Gin. But I am noticing it still seems a little too sweet. I did not realize just how much sugar there is in North American tonic water (Schwepps, Can. Dry etc..), and the worst part is that sugar is almost always high fructose corn syrup......UGH! Looking around the net and I have found several tonics that have less sugar and more quinine (did not realise our tonics have less quinine than the UK versions), and it is the higher quinine level and lower/better sugar that makes UK tonic water taste bitter compared to our tonic, and much better IMHO.

I have found Q-Tonic, but can only find 750 ml bottles (at $10 a pop!!!) at La Bottega and Herb and Spice. Problem is they come corked like a champagne bottle, so it is a one shot deal, gets kinda pricey for one drink.

Any body seen anything similar in smaller bottles around town?

Link to Q-Tonic to see what I am looking for:

qtonic.com/

A little history about tonic water:

www.thenibble.com

I've noticed this problem too with my own gin and tonics -- the canned/bottled tonic water is just too sweet. It seems the stuff I've had at bars is much nicer in a gin and tonic. Maybe they have a slightly different mix for their handheld fountain thingamajig or maybe it's just that they put so much ice it dilutes the sweetness.
Whatever the reason, I'm watching this discussion with bated breath. :-)

I don't understand, isn't everyone equipped to make their own?

:-)

You make your own, zym? I'm equipped to make soda; if it's just a matter of adding quinine and a little sweetener, I'm totally up for that. Just point me to the quinine!

One direction: Market Organics (for the powdered cinchona bark).

And then you COULD make your own...
www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com

Oh I didn't say I make my own, I said I'm equipped to :-) I have to imagine that the CO2 is the toughest part. Once that is licked the rest should be downhill.

The CO2 is the easiest part. You just need a seltzer bottle with CO2 cartriges.

Those of you equipped to make soda...where do you get CO2 cartridges in Ottawa? (And for that matter, the actual soda-making machine?)

My German (host) family were going to get me a spruedel-maker as a going away present but they thought there were no CO2 cartridges in Canada...

As part of my misspent youth - I know you can buy CO2 cartridges wherever you can find air guns - i.e. Canadian Tire. (watch out gofer!)

Sometimes making your own is not what it is cracked up to be....

Good for a laugh!

www.portlandfoodanddrink.com

LWB - I use a CO2 tank from Davidson's Fire Extinguishers, not cartridges. Way cheaper in bulk. And kegs. Right now I've got a lovely keg of lemon/lime aid on tap, sweetened with apple juice instead of sugar.

Holy CR@P!

If I drank that much tonic water (with required Gin) I would need a new liver by the end of the month!!

Impressive none the less.

How so Omnivore? Some tonics come in 2L plastic bottles. My smallest keg is not much bigger than that. In fact, I also have a "carbonator cap" (google it) that allows me to carbonate regular 2L bottles.

Hmm, interesting. But I am finding the 750ml bottles (see first post) too big, but that is mainly because they are not resealable. So I have been looking for single serve bottles.

I was picturing a full size keg of tonic... :)

Well, all PET bottles have the same size cap. So my carbonator cap can work with any size. There are 500ml and 600ml sizes, and they are of course resealable.

Well, I have partially given up on finding good tonic locally, so I went to kegworks.com and ordered this sample pack which includes: Q-Tonic, Fever-Tree and Fentimans, all in single serve portions.

www.kegworks.com

Shipping was a bitch, but I figured this will be a one off taste test for now and I can find a cheaper source if I like one of them.

Time to crack open the Bombay Sapphire, Victoria, Plymouth and Hendricks, and compare vs. regular Schweppes.

I believe I may have success!

I have found a local distributor for Fever-Tree products, and they are currently in the process of bringing in the tonic water. I have tried this tonic and it is really good. A little bitter, very little sweetness, and it has a slight lemon flavour to it, good enough to add to gin and not need an extra dash of lemon. The serving size is perfect for mixing up a single drink.

The distributor is:

Mountain Path
Mountain, ON (a little south of Ottawa)
www.mountainpath.com

They are a distributor of organic items, so they would probably only sell by the case if picking up from their location. They said shipping on orders over $500 is free.

They are sending me a catalog and price list for their products......

Ooohh, I like the idea.

I've been buying from Mountain Path for a couple of years now and have mentioned them quite a bit in here. Their current catalog does not have this product but like you say they are getting it in, so I would not expect to see it in there. Actually, the current catalog does not seem to have any Fever-Tree products so maybe it is a completely new line for them.

I could have sworn the free delivery was over $200 but we usually have orders bigger than that anyway. We have a buying club together and do orders several times a year. We are still looking for members so anyone who is happy to pick up in Hintonburg can PM me. Though we just placed an order 2 weeks ago so our next one will not likely be for 3 months.

That is good to know, thanks Zym. Luckily, we go right by Mountain, ON when we store our summer cars, so a bunch of us will be going right by there in the spring and fall.

Can't wait to get the full catalog and see what else to pick up.

The owner said this is a new line for them, and he had just tried the tonic water and much prefers it over North American Schweppes.

Since they are now starting to carry the Fever Tree line, we should also see it showing up at local stores soon for those wishing to purchase in smaller amounts.

And a link to the Fever Tree site for others to check out..

www.fever-tree.com/drinks.php

And a review....

www.slashfood.com

As mentioned in my other post (Forum - Quinine fluorescence), Fever Tree tonic water now available at Farm Boy (at least at the Merivale location).

BTW, they also have some for sale at La Bottega in the Byward Market.

Just enjoyed a couple of gin and tonics on Canada Day--and it was Scweppes tonic and sweeter tasting than I would have preferred. For the couple of times a year I enjoy a gin and tonic I will look for the Fever Tree t.w.

i find fever tree a poor substitute to Q tonic. fever tree is also sold at metro in the glebe. i haven't found Q this year though.

As you might have guessed, I'm a bit of a food/drink enthusiast and nothing makes me happier than doing a taste test between competing incarnations of similar products.

I've been making my Gin and Tonics using Fever Tree tonic water (from Farm Boy) ever since I learned of its existence in these forums. I recently procured Q-Tonic and Fentiman's from Grace in the Kitchen & Serious Cheese and just tried them out this evening. Interesting, to say the least!

* Q-Tonic: Incredibly mild. Lightly sweetened with agave syrup, it has only 38 calories per bottle. It's wonderful to sip on its own but I found it waaay too mild for a gin and tonic. It will make the gin easier to swill, but it doesn't pack the quinine punch I look for. $2.99 for 250 mL.
* Fentiman's: Surprisingly harsh, almost medicinal. The ingredients are all recognizable, so I'm guessing the medicinal characteristic is a combination of the ethanol and the lemon grass. Sweetened with sugar, and 73 calories per bottle. The quinine is potent in this one. $2.50 for 275 mL.

I ended up mixing the two for the gin and tonic I'm currently sipping, and that seems to work quite well. However, I think my vote still goes for Fever Tree -- which fortunately is half the price of the others by volume ($2.99 for 500 mL) and it comes in a reclosable screwtop bottle.

I love Q, but Fevertree has a similar tonic, called Indian Tonic Water. I like it better than their regular tonic water.

Edit to add: I also wasn't wowed by Fentiman's. I do wonder if Q suffers from quality control, because sometimes I have had and thought, that is the best tonic I have ever tasted and other times I have wondered if something was different. And, don't forget your brand of gin will affect the quality of your drink as well :)

Not sure where I first came across this, maybe even on here? It is an interesting comparison of various tonic waters. Not all are available in Ottawa.

mattsmiscellany.blogspot.com

I had thought that with the start of the cold weather I wouldn't have to worry about malaria for a while. Oh, well. I guess I'd better get some more gin to help get rid of the old PC tonic water then. It does the jorb.

I remembered reading this last year... Perhaps someone can point me in the right direction.

Does anyone know where I would find a seltzer bottle in Ottawa? Do the CO2 cartridges from Canadian Tire (mentioned above) work on a seltzer bottle?

I have developed an affinity for San Pellegrino and would like to make my own sparkly water. I am looking for an easy way (that does not involve the possibility of shattered bottles) and I really only need to make small amounts as it is just for me. I am not interested in buying the Sodastream fountain thingy. I would rather try the seltzer bottle method, or if anyone has other suggestions.

Cheers,
Maria

I've seen them at CA Paradis.

My parents used to have a seltzer bottle. It was a heavy white bottle that you filled with water. The top was a stainless steel(?) that you screwed on and then the CO2 cartridge was screwed into that.

Maria,

As Zym has pointed out, Davidsons carries big CO2 tanks. They would be overkill and what I would consider is getting a CO2 regulator at the many online places and then go for an 8 oz or 16 oz paintball CO2 tank. You can get them filled up at many Crappy Tire locations.

The CO2 tanks are available locally and also half price to what I have seen here at Walmart in the US. Carbonator Caps are a wonderful thing to add to the list.

Also once you do get set up consider getting water from the spring in Wakefield or someone you know who has good well water. Makes a nice difference over city water thats forsure.

a 2L pop bottle and a carb cap is probably the easiest and cheapest way to do it.

K,

A couple of great articles for people on the fence about making your own Tonic Water.

Why?
drinks.seriouseats.com

How To!
www.seriouseats.com

Thanks for the suggestions :)