WINE WORLD

Fever Tree – the boutique tonic maker – make the obvious point on their website that Gin and Tonic is 50 or more percent tonic. When you pick a tonic for your preferred gin it is useful to have done at least a two-gin by two (or more) tonic tasting. It is surprising how different tonics work better or worse with different gins.

Black Fox is always playing around with different combinations. They managed to persuade Porter’s Tonic Syrup to manufacture a tonic for their gin. Porter’s Prairie Grid syrup is made with Saskatoon Rosemary. If you try this one, the result is not a London Dry (i.e. lime heavy) gin and tonic. Nor, in case you find the aesthetics of a clear Gin and Tonic appealing, is it colourless.

The tonic is a pretty rose colour which is attractive by itself. The piny/spicy/floral bouquet is tremendously interesting. If I were you, I’d buy as many gins as you like and sit down with a couple of tonics to do some comparative testing. Fever Tree makes at least three different tonics (Indian, Mediterranean, and Elderberry.) Porter’s makes a couple. Go nuts.

So far I think the tonic works best with Black Fox No. 3, but I have yet to give it a whirl with LB’s gin. I think I’m going to set up a three by four gin and tonic taste test to really check this stuff out. (As a complete aside, if you like black coffee, try a Black Fox No. 3 and black coffee. I don’t mind a shot of gin in a cup of coffee but this is a REALLY good combination. It won’t work for double-double fans.)

Black Fox No. 3 and Porter’s Prairie Grid Tonic Syrup. *****

Red wine next week. Other wines on Twitter @drbooze.