Tonic water is experiencing a renaissance, emerging as a standalone drink rather than merely a mixer for gin and tonics. According to the Waitrose Food and Drink Report 2025/2026, tonic has been hailed as 'the new gin', with a plethora of flavour profiles now available and increasing consumption on its own.
Originally developed in the 17th century as a malaria treatment using quinine from cinchona tree bark, tonic water was sweetened to mask its bitterness. By the Victorian era, it became fizzy and was routinely combined with gin, symbolising the British Raj.
Today, consumers are developing a taste for bitter drinks, and tonic water fits the bill. It is considered more grown-up than lemonade and more interesting than fizzy water. Single-serve cans, popularised by Fever-Tree, offer a fresher, fizzier experience.
Options range from light tonics with less sugar, preferred for their bitterness, to sweet flavoured varieties like grapefruit and rosemary or rhubarb and raspberry. San Pellegrino's Oakwood Tonic, with hints of oak bark, is noted as a complex choice suitable for solo drinking.
