Tonic water was originally created as a medicine to treat malaria.
The active ingredient in tonic water is quinine, which was used to treat malaria in the 19th century.
Tonic water became popular among British colonizers in India, who mixed it with gin to make it more palatable.
The British East India Company played a significant role in the spread of tonic water and quinine.
The production of quinine was a brutal process that involved the exploitation of indigenous people in South America.
Tonic water's popularity as a mixer for cocktails helped to obscure its dark history.
Today, tonic water is still used in cocktails and enjoyed by many, but it's important to understand its complicated past.