Legend has it that the bark of the fever-tree was first used by the Spanish in the early 1630s when it was given to the Countess of Chinchon, who had contracted malaria (known colloquially as the ‘fever') whilst living in Peru. The Countess recovered and the healing properties of the tree were discovered.
Despite this success its reputation was slow to catch on. It was imported to Europe under the name ‘Jesuits Powder' which proved a very poor selling strategy in Protestant England. Even when Charles II in 1679 was cured of the ‘fever' its popularity was not assured as its use remained the secret of his physician (Robert Talbor).
However, the healing power of this remarkable tree only became world renowned in the 1820's when officers of the British Army in India, in an attempt to ward off malaria, mixed quinine (the extract from the bark of the fever-tree) with sugar and water, creating the first Indian Tonic Water.
Technical Details
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pure and crystal clear.
Aroma: Subtle and supportive citrus and fruit notes.
Flavour: Very soft, subtle citrus and fruit notes balanced by the bitterness of natural quinine. Slightly less sweet than Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water, the finish is clean with none of the usual cloying aftertastes experienced when drinking artificially sweetened slimline tonics.
