Tonic Spritzer

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Cocktail History

The Tonic Spritzer is a modern cocktail that was created by Jon and Lindsay Yeager in Nashville, Tennessee and was first published in their book The Ultimate Guide to Beer Cocktails: 50 Creative Recipes for Combining Beer & Booze. The recipe calls for a simple mixture of Mexican beer, tonic syrup, and apricot or blackcurrant liqueur to make a lager-based alternative to the refreshing Gin & Tonic.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Mexican Beer: This is a type of beer made with malted barley, corn or other adjunct grains, hops, water, and yeast, which are brewed and fermented to develop a light, crisp flavor.

Tonic Syrup: This is a concentrated mixer made with quinine, citrus, white sugar, and water, which are blended into a syrup that creates tonic water when mixed with carbonated soda.

Crème De Cassis: This is a liqueur made with blackcurrants, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a dark, tart berry flavor.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bottle Opener: This is used to open bottles. I used the OXO Steel Bottle Opener.

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Light brown color

• Aroma: Malty beer

• Taste: Tangy fruity flavor featuring a heavy dose of bright lager alongside wintry berry

• Finish: Quinine bitterness

Kendall’s Take: “In my experience, beer cocktails tend to be pretty straightforward in their flavor. I’ve rarely come across one that doesn’t just taste like beer with a hint of whatever other ingredients are used. This one, although simple, was much more complex and reminded me of a wintry version of light beer thanks to the dark and rich flavors of the tonic syrup and blackcurrant liqueur. I have a hops allergy, so I can’t indulge in beer too much, but what I tasted of the Tonic Spritzer, a light but brooding concoction, was delicious.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Ultimate Guide to Beer Cocktails: 50 Creative Recipes for Combining Beer & Booze by Jon and Lindsay Yeager.