Quirky Q

Idyllic summer nights (especially those in places where it’s warm at night) can leave little to be desired–unless you’re Q Tonic founder Jordan Silbert, that is. The gin and tonic lover discovered that the tonic water he was drinking four summer ago was chock full of artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup, and in the name of not standing up for something so undignified, he set out to create a crisper tonic. After pulling together quinine from South America, organic agave and lovingly designed floral-inspired glass bottles, Silbert’s concoction can now be found locally at NOPA.

“One of the things that excites me most about Q Tonic is that it enables you to actually taste the difference between and gin and tonic made with different gins–a gin and tonic made with Plymouth and Q Tonic tastes very different than a G&T with Hendricks and Q Tonic,” says the drink maker, who slaved over the recipe in his Brooklyn kitchen for more than a few seasons. “Unlike when you use mass produced tonic waters, you can actually taste the different botanicals that make different gins great in their different ways.”

When asked about non-gin drinks, Silbert suggested a few so simple that they may get me out of my mojito-making habit this summer, including:

Lil’ Q
* Fill a highball glass with ice
* Add 3 oz Lillet White
* Top with 3 to 4 oz Q Tonic
* Garnish with mint or an orange twist

Gin-ger Tonic
* Fill a highball glass with ice
* Add 2 oz of your favorite gin
* Add 1 oz ginger infused simple syrup
* Add .5 oz lime juice
* Top with 3 oz Q Tonic
* Stir
* Garnish with a lemon wedge and/or a piece of candied ginger.

Thanks to Headline Shirts for the company tip. Partially reposted from JoshSpear.