Origins of the Gin & Tonic

For Medicinal Purposes

How that refreshing Gin & Tonic came to be.

There are three historic events that are not just relevant, but, when combined created the situation that gave rise to gin and tonics as a medicine. Yes, that’s correct. Every G & T you enjoy exists due to a major medical breakthrough about 200 years ago. Let’s lay that groundwork.

First…

• As early as 1632 bark extracts from the Cinchona tree were used to treat malaria. The quinine, which is an alkaloid, within that bark was first isolated in 1820 and become a prevalent medicine in its time. Jesuit missionaries were the first to bring cinchona back to Europe.
• To be more specific, a trained apothecary who was also a Jesuit, Agostino Salumbrino, noticed its effectiveness in treating the “shivers” from malaria. He sent a batch back to Rome for additional testing. That got the dominos rolling.

It’s not known exactly how many lives it saved, but this classic quote from Churchill sums it up. “Gin and Tonic has saved more Englishman’s lives, and minds, than all of the doctors in the empire.”

Today, there are about 6,000 different gins produced around the world with England leading the charge with over 1,700 of those 6,000.

The modern-day lesson from our malaria-free, tropical island…slip on that comfy Ernest linen shirt, kick back on the porch and sip part of history with this simple, yet “medicinal” cocktail.

Enjoy!