Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water - Perfect for Gin and Tonic 50 cl

Some gins can take quinine coming at them hard. Others fall apart under it. This bottle is made for the second kind: the slight, floral, citrus-fresh ones, where the whole point sits in aromatics you can barely name.

The expert's description

Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water - Perfect for Gin and Tonic 50 cl is a Tonic Water made from carbonated spring water, quinine and essential oils from Mediterranean herbs such as lemon thyme and rosemary, bottled in a single 50 cl bottle.

Mediterranean is the softest of Fever-Tree's tonic waters. The quinine content is turned well down compared with Premium Indian Tonic Water, and that changes the entire drink. The bitterness becomes a thin line under the flavour rather than the drying layer that usually settles across the palate, and the herbs and citrus oils get room to spread out.

The herbs are gathered around the Mediterranean. Lemon thyme supplies the lemony, almost resinous note, rosemary handles the green and rugged side, and the essential citrus oils make the aroma floral. The quinine comes from Cinchona Ledgeriana, the original quinine tree the brand takes its name from.

The 50 cl bottle is the single serve version, and it covers three glasses. It is a practical way to try the style out before deciding to keep it on the shelf permanently. The tonic can also be drunk as it is, which is not true of every Tonic Water.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry thyme and rosemary first, then a soft floral note with lemon peel behind it. The aroma is more pronounced than in a classic Tonic Water.

Palate

Light and round. The sweetness is modest, the acidity tight, and the quinine registers mostly as a faint tug at the sides of the tongue rather than a broad bitterness.

Finish

Clean and herbal, with a green trace of rosemary hanging on for a few moments.

Specifications

Name: Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water - Perfect for Gin and Tonic 50 cl
Producer: Fever-Tree
Region/Country: United Kingdom
Type: Tonic Water
Size: 50 CL
Ingredients: Carbonated spring water, sugar, citric acid, natural flavourings including quinine
EAN no.: 5060108451543
Serving suggestion: Ice cold over plenty of ice with a citrus-led gin and a wide strip of lemon peel

Flavour profile

Floral · Herbal · Lightly bitter · Citrus · Soft

Did you know?

The lemon thyme comes from Provence. It is a cross that smells more of lemon than of thyme, and that oil is exactly what gives Mediterranean its bright, southern aroma long before the glass has reached your mouth.

See our full range of Tonic Water

Frequently asked questions about Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water - Perfect for Gin and Tonic 50 cl

Does Mediterranean Tonic Water suit a classic London Dry Gin?

Yes, though the drink comes out rounder than with a classic Tonic Water. Juniper steps forward once the quinine takes up less space, and the herbal notes in the tonic meet the dry botanicals in the gin. If you are used to a bracing Gin and Tonic it can read as mild for the first sips. See our full range of Gin.

Which glass should a Gin and Tonic be served in?

A large balloon glass or a tall straight-sided one. The balloon gathers the aroma, which matters here, where rosemary and lemon thyme are half the experience. What counts most is filling the glass right up with ice so the drink stays cold instead of turning watery.

What is the right ratio of gin to tonic?

One part gin to three or four parts tonic. With 4 cl of gin that means 12 to 16 cl of tonic, so a 50 cl bottle covers three glasses. More tonic leaves the drink tame, less makes it sharp and shuts the aromatics down.

Should you use lemon or lime with Mediterranean?

Lemon, or better still grapefruit. The sharpness of lime cuts across the soft herbal notes, while lemon and grapefruit pull in the same direction as the citrus oils in the tonic. A sprig of rosemary in the glass makes the aroma clearer again.

Why does Mediterranean taste less bitter than other tonic waters?

Because there is less quinine in it. Quinine is the compound that gives Tonic Water its characteristic dry bitterness, and when the amount is reduced the essential oils from herbs and citrus come forward instead. It is a deliberate choice, not a dilution.

Can Mediterranean be used with anything other than gin?

Yes, it handles vodka and non-alcoholic spirits well. Vodka lets the tonic decide the flavour, and the herbal notes make the drink more interesting than a neutral tonic would. It also works as the base of a light spritz alongside a citrus element.