Just the Tonic: a History of Tonic Water

Description

Just the Tonic is an accessible yet informative history of tonic water: its connections to the major disease malaria, the cure discovered in the bitter bark of the cinchona tree and its constituent alkaloid quinine. It is a history deeply intertwined with botanical exploration and empire in the Victorian era, and the role of botanical gardens such as Kew.

Kim Walker trained as a medical herbalist, and now specialises in the history of plant medicines. She is currently working on a PhD on cinchona at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. She is on the committee of the Herbal History Research Network, the British Society for the History of Pharmacy and is a member of the Association of Foragers. She is the co-author of The Handmade Apothecary (Kyle Books, 2017) and The Herbal Remedy Handbook (Kyle Books, 2019). Mark Nesbitt is curator of the Economic Botany Collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and his research centres on botany and empire in the nineteenth century, and on the history and current day management of botanical collections. He is the co-author of Curating Biocultural Collections (Kew Publishing, 2014) and The Botanical Treasury (Andre Deutsch, 2016).

"Discoveries from this latest fact-finding expedition launched from London's Kew Gardens reveal nearly everything I learned about tonic water is a myth. The true story told here traverses the globe; from the age of exploration through the Industrial Revolution and beyond, before dropping readers off in the midst of a mixed drink renaissance. From fever trees to pharmacies and mixology; few tipples team with a tale as beguiling and quixotic as quinine."--Jim Meehan, author of The PDT Cocktail Book and Meehan's Bartender Manual "Richly illustrated with botanical drawings, posters and advertisements touting the benefits of the numerous tonics made from cinchona throughout the decades, the book winds its way through the natural history and horticulture of the 'fever tree, ' dips into malarial medicine, pharmacology and chemistry, traces the invention of 'aerated' soda water and the rise of the soft drink industry, and discusses the roots of mixology, with a quick detour to the use and production of ice in beverage culture."-- "Chicago Tribune" "A complete history of tonic water, including a chapter on both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktail recipes."-- "Bookseller" "A delightfully accessible--and richly-illustrated--tome."-- "Country Life" "The authors successfully bring together the history of quinine, fizzy water and gin in this entertaining, highly illustrated account."-- "Daily Mail" "Tonic almost always plays second fiddle to either gin or vodka, but here, it takes center stage. Kim Walker and Mark Nesbitt . . . trace the evolution of quinine, the ingredient that gives tonic water its distinct flavor, from its ancient medicinal usage through its modern incarnation as both natural remedy and popular mixer component. Included are recipes for tonic cocktails, among them nonalcoholic options."-- "Publishers Weekly" "Well-researched and lavishly produced, it looks at how a malaria cure from South America ended up becoming an ingredient in Britain's favourite mixed drink, the gin and tonic."-- "Spectator" "Just the Tonic brings together three strands to tell a single story, mixing well-informed historical narrative and quirky anecdote. . . . The book is beautifully produced. It abounds with magnificent and sometimes surprising illustrations, all carefully chosen, coming from the unparalleled collections of Kew Gardens and the Wellcome Collection."-- "Gastronomica" "Well-presented and laid out, the writing is engaging. Photographs, posters, prints, and botanical artwork grace almost every page and make this the first authoritative history of tonic water an ideal gift." -- "The Field"