I don’t give two hoots about the Summer Solstice, the long hot New Orleans summer has arrived in full force. Any time you’ve got 75% or more of the forecast showing highs in the 90s or above, it’s summer. One of the great things about summer, besides that it means Saints football is getting closer (don’t you guys screw this up), is that a gin and tonic makes the move from tasty beverage to survival necessity. That’s great by me, because I love a good gin and tonic, especially now that I’ve taken some extra steps to spice up the relationship. Now, gin and tonics and I didn’t really hit it off at first. We had a rough introduction in high school. It was Mardi Gras, we were on a balcony on St. Charles and we had scored a fifth of Seagram’s gin. The rest we probably shouldn’t talk about.

Fast forward a few (or more) years and gin and tonic is something you know you can always get and be happy. But, like a relationship that has settled into a deep rut, you aren’t overly excited about it but it sure beats trying something else. I mean, what if you don’t like whatever you order? Then you’re stuck having paid for something you don’t like and that’s not fun. Plus, you’re used to the gin and tonics idiosyncrasies and now you’d just have to learn to deal with some new weird things the new drink does. So you stick with gin and tonic and make yourself believe you’re really happy. Well you can be happy, truly happy. You just need to learn to treat your gin right. Because all this time, you’ve been a bastard and didn’t even realize it.

Mass produced tonic, the kind you find in most grocery stores is overly sweet (yes even the diet stuff) and masks or dulls the gin’s flavor. What you want, no need, is a tonic that will compliment your gin, not overpower it. This is where Fever Tree comes in. While Fever Tree does have a full line of drinks, we’re here to save your relationship with the gin and tonic.

By blending fabulous botanical oils with spring water and the highest quality quinine from the fever tree, we have created a delicious, natural tonic with a uniquely clean and refreshing taste and aroma.

What that all translates into in plain English is, Fever Tree gives you a cleaner, crisper, less sweet gin and tonic. Rather than muddling the natural flavors of your gin and hiding them behind a overly sweet blanket, Fever Tree looks to elevate your gin. I’m sure at this point you’re probably convinced this specialty tonic is about as special as a bottle of Dasani filtered tap water. I mean it’s tonic, how different could some bubbly water with quinine be? I’ve learned the difference is massive. In a recent side-by-side taste test, I couldn’t even bring myself to finish the “regular” gin and tonic (at least not until the Fever Tree one was gone–look I’m not about to waste it). It was way too sticky and sweet, lacking in flavor, character and nuance. All things I never knew I was missing.

So reignite your relationship with gin and tonic and pick up a Fever Tree. No need to thank me, seeing happy drinkers everywhere is my reward.