Quaffed the Raven

The Artisan Drinks Co. began in 2018 and have a range of very funky labelled mixers from tonics to ginger beer and cola. This is their regular tonic, using natural quinine flavours from raw cinchona bark extract, as well as the aforementioned Valencian oranges and Asian lemons!

The Artisan Drinks Co. Classic London Tonic is available in 200ml bottles.

Tasting Notes

When first pouring, there is a gentle burst of bubbles that fizz and die away to leave a large number still clinging to the bottom and sides of the glass. The bubbles are a medium size, and stick around for a long time. Quietly popping away as I type.

The aroma to me is definitely on the orange citrus side, but with a lovely tang from the quinine and lemon. It’s gentle, almost floral and there’s no hint of bitterness, which to be fair might work against it for some!

On its own, there’s a very pleasant fizz on the tongue followed by a lovely fruity tonic flavour. It’s sweet and subtle, but there’s a definite bite towards the end from the quinine. Despite seeming very mild, it also feels like there’s quite a lot going on. It reminds me a sweet I’d used to have as a child, though it’s obviously not that sweet here. I think this is delicious.

With gin (2:1 Beefeater with a slice of lemon), the result is nice but not what I was hoping for, however once I’d topped up with a little more tonic (closer to 3:1 – judge me if you wish!) I think it really developed into an absolutely gorgeous G&T. The orange flavours really come through now and work beautifully with the gin. There’s a very nice level of bitterness for me, but this is definitely on the sweeter end of the spectrum. For me it’s just right though, the lemon works well alongside that nice floral orange, but with a bite of quinine at the end. Excellent stuff.

Overall

I think this is a wonderful tonic. Those of you who prefer your G&T on the bitter side beware, but if you’re like me and you prefer things a little sweeter, this is a great choice. It’s towards the top of the price range, and isn’t easily available, but if you’re offered a bottle, I wouldn’t turn it down!

Artisan Drinks Co. Classic London Tonic Water is available online

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All reviews are of the author’s personal collection, bought and paid for by the author, unless otherwise stated.