What is Quinine Water?
Quinine water is an older name for what is more commonly referred to these days as tonic water. Quinine water is popular throughout the world, and is the basis for some popular mixed drinks, including the Gin and Tonic. It is given its name because it has a small amount of quinine, a crystalline alkaloid, in it. Quinine water has its roots in the early 17th century. The story goes that the Countess of Chinchon, living in Peru, came down with a dreadful case of malaria. As she lay close to death, her husband begged the local Incas for some sort of a cure. They made her a tonic, which was primarily the ground up bark of the Quinquina tree that made its home in the Andes. She recovered, and the Spanish saw that they had discovered a remedy for the dreadful scourge of malaria. The bark of the Quinquina tree was exported in massive amounts to Europe. It became a sort of miracle drug, even curing King Louis XIV of malaria. But because of trade restrictions the seeds themselves were not allow
