Small Hand Foods Tonic Syrup

Small Hand Foods Tonic Syrup is an 8.5 oz bottle of San Francisco craft tonic concentrate — finely cut cinchona bark (the natural quinine source), house-made gentian extract, and spices simmered in organic cane syrup by bartender Jennifer Colliau's Small Hand Foods, the small-batch syrup maker she started in 2008 while bartending at the Slanted Door. Mix ¾ oz syrup with 3¾ oz seltzer (a 5:1 ratio) for tonic water with actual character, then add gin and citrus for a proper G&T, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.

• Size: 8.5 oz bottle
• Ingredients: cinchona bark, house-made gentian extract, spices, organic cane syrup — organic, additive-free
• Ratio: 5:1 — ¾ oz syrup + 3¾ oz seltzer
• Origin: Small Hand Foods, San Francisco — founded 2008 by bartender Jennifer Colliau
• Use: tonic water concentrate; Gin & Tonic, vodka tonic, whiskey highballs
• Storage: shelf-stable concentrate

Tonic Water, Before It Was Boring

Commercial tonic water is a solved problem in the worst way — uniformly sweet, uniformly bland. Small Hand Foods goes the other direction: real cinchona bark simmered down with gentian and spices in organic cane syrup, yielding an amber, almost smoky, woodsy tonic (the San Francisco Chronicle's words via early coverage) with genuine quinine bite. Jennifer Colliau started making it in 2008 behind the bar at the Slanted Door because nothing on the market was good enough for her G&Ts — and the concentrate format means one small bottle outlasts a case of cans. The official build is ¾ oz syrup to 3¾ oz seltzer over ice, then gin and a lemon or lime wedge. Pair it with a proper gin like Sipsmith London Dry and taste what tonic is supposed to be, or browse the Small Hand Foods range for more small-batch syrups.

Tasting Notes

Earthy and amber — cinchona bitterness up front, gentian depth underneath, warm spice and cane-sugar roundness behind. Almost smoky in its woodiness; nothing like the flat sweetness of mass-market tonic.

How to Enjoy

¾ oz syrup + 3¾ oz seltzer over ice = tonic water; add 2 oz gin and a citrus wedge for the G&T. Also excellent with vodka or as the lengthener in a whiskey highball.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use tonic syrup?
Mix ¾ oz of syrup with 3¾ oz of seltzer or soda water (5:1) over ice — that's tonic water. Add gin for a G&T.

Does it contain quinine?
Yes — from real cinchona bark, the natural quinine source, plus house-made gentian extract.

How big is the bottle?
8.5 oz of concentrate — a little goes a long way at the 5:1 ratio. (Ignore the 17.5 oz listing seen on one site; that's a mis-listing.)

Is it shelf-stable?
Yes — it's a shelf-stable concentrate; no refrigeration needed until you start mixing.

Real quinine, real craft — order Small Hand Foods Tonic Syrup online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.