So if you've read about the history of Navy Strength Gin and its origins within the British Royal Navy, did you know that this is also how the gin and tonic was created?
As the British Empire expanded into tropical regions in the 18th century*, malaria became a significant threat to soldiers and sailors. They learnt that this thing called quinine (which was derived from the bark of the Chinchona Tree or ‘Fever Tree’) was an effective treatment.
It was a crucial medicine but it had a very bitter taste so, to make it more palatable, sailors and soldiers took this quinine and dissolved it in water with sugar which created a ‘tonic water’.
This ‘tonic water’ became a part of the daily rations for British officers and sailors in malaria prone areas to prevent the disease. They would add it to their daily rations of gin, mixing it together to create a gin and tonic.
The gin, which was already flavoured with botanicals like Juniper, complimented the bitterness of the quinine and recreated a refreshing and palatable drink. Lime was also part of their daily rations, given to help to combat scurvy. They added it to the gin and tonic water, giving it a beautifully citrusy edge.
So we have the British Royal Navy to thank for creating and popularising the gin and tonic.
Cheers to that!
Learn more about the history of gin at one of our gin experiences or buy a bottle of gin and some tonic at our online shop.
*We acknowledge that there’s obviously a lot of complicated history around British colonialism which is deeply problematic. But with that there’s a lot of important maritime history and legacy, including the origins of the Gin and Tonic and why it is so important and beloved today.