Tonic water soda

No. Tonic water is sweetened and flavoured with quinine, which gives it a bitter edge; soda water is carbonated water without that flavour or sugar.

Fill a glass with plenty of ice, add one measure of gin and top up with chilled tonic water. A wedge of lime is a classic garnish; add it after pouring so you can squeeze in the juice.

For a similar bitter, bubbly mixer, use sparkling water with a little citrus juice and a dash of bitters. Soda water on its own is less sweet and lacks tonic water’s quinine flavour.

Close the bottle or can and refrigerate it promptly. Use it within a few days for the best fizz; a tightly sealed bottle usually holds its bubbles better than an opened can.

Its characteristic bitterness comes from quinine, a compound originally associated with the bark of cinchona trees. Sweetness balances the bitterness in most tonic water.

Tonic water itself is a non-alcoholic soft drink. It contains alcohol only if you mix it with an alcoholic drink such as gin.

Yes, its sweetness and bitterness can work in a citrus glaze or a light batter, but it is most often used as a mixer. Keep it chilled until you need it so the carbonation is not lost.