Seventeen 1724 Tonic Water CAN - Perfect for Gin and Tonic 20 cl

High on the Inca Trail in Peru, where the air thins and the forest grows low, stand the cinchona trees this tonic draws its bitterness from. The bark is picked by hand, and the number in the name records how high up it happens.

The expert's description

Seventeen 1724 Tonic Water CAN - Perfect for Gin and Tonic 20 cl is a Tonic Water made in Spain with quinine from the Andes in Peru and filled into cans of 20 cl.

The name 1724 is an altitude. The quinine bark is harvested at 1,724 metres along the Inca Trail, and that quinine gives a bitterness milder and more rounded than a classic Indian Tonic Water. The sweetness is clear and leans citrus, and the two meet in a tonic that is easy to drink and hard to mistake for anything else.

The bead is fine and lively, and because the quinine sits low, the gin is given more room than in a taut, bitter tonic. That suits Mediterranean-style gins built on olive, rosemary, thyme and citrus, and it suits floral gins whose blossom is otherwise easily covered. A juniper-heavy London Dry Gin also stands up well, though here the gin leads.

The can brings its own advantages. It chills faster than glass, it shuts out all light, and it travels in a bag without any risk of broken glass. One can equals one Gin and Tonic, so the carbonation is at full strength every time one is opened.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sweet citrus first, mandarin and a puff of lime, with a fine herbal tone underneath. The quinine registers only as a dry suggestion.

Palate

Softer than a classic Indian Tonic Water. Sweetness comes early, bitterness arrives late and never turns sharp, and the carbonation lifts without stinging.

Finish

Short, clean and citrus-led. The mild bitterness ebbs away quickly and leaves a trace of peel.

Specifications

Name: Seventeen 1724 Tonic Water CAN - Perfect for Gin and Tonic 20 cl
Producer: 1724 Tonic Water
Region/Country: Spain
Type: Tonic Water
Size: 20 CL
EAN no.: 5710754000908
Serving suggestion: Poured ice cold over large ice cubes in a balloon glass with a strip of orange peel

Flavour profile

Mild Bitterness · Sweet Citrus · Fresh · Light Carbonation

Did you know?

The large balloon glass used for Gin and Tonic comes from Spain, where the drink became a national discipline long before anyone else caught on. The shape holds plenty of ice and traps the aromatics, which is why Spanish tonics like this one are almost always shown in exactly that glass.

See our full range of Tonic Water

Frequently asked questions about Seventeen 1724 Tonic Water CAN - Perfect for Gin and Tonic 20 cl

What does the number 1724 in the name mean?

It is an altitude in metres. The quinine bark for the tonic is picked at 1,724 metres along the Inca Trail in Peru, and that height became the name of the product. It is not a year.

Which gin suits 1724 Tonic Water best?

Mediterranean-style gins and floral gins. Because the bitterness is mild, the gin's botanicals stand out more clearly, and notes of olive, rosemary, thyme, citrus peel and blossom are given room instead of being covered over. See our full range of Gin.

Is it less bitter than a classic Indian Tonic Water?

Yes, noticeably milder. The quinine is present but sits low and only shows up at the close, while a sweet citrus tone takes up most of the space. If you prefer a taut, dry Gin and Tonic, a classic Indian Tonic Water is the better choice.

Why a can rather than a bottle?

The can chills faster and shuts out all light. It weighs less, cannot break, and is the obvious choice for a picnic, a boat or a terrace. The flavour is identical, but the tonic should be poured into a glass rather than drunk from the can, otherwise the aroma is lost.

Which glass and how much ice should be used?

A large balloon glass filled right up with ice. Plenty of ice melts more slowly than a little and therefore dilutes less, while the wide opening gathers the aromatics from the gin and the orange peel. Chill the glass before pouring if you can.

Which garnish suits a Gin and Tonic made with 1724 Tonic Water?

Orange peel, rosemary or a few pink peppercorns. All three draw out the mild citrus sweetness, and rosemary plays straight into a Mediterranean gin. Lemon sharpens the drink but also closes down part of that sweetness.