Origins of Gin and Tonic

British soldiers fighting in the Indies had a serious problem with Malaria. The British also had a tonic water that contained quinine, which was effective at fighting malaria. The tonic water tasted terrible, so the British soldiers mixed gin with it to make it palatable. Upon returning home after the war, they continued to drink the mix and it became quite popular.

Incidentally, Malaria comes from the Italian, meaning 'bad air' as it was originally thought to be caused by dirty air.

Tonic water still contains some quinine, but much less than the original, and now usually has artificial sweeteners to moderate the bitter taste. Interesting to note the sensitivity of quinine to UV makes it appear fluorescent in direct sunlight and glows blue under black lights.