Diet tonic water is a funny thing to me. Firstly, considering how many good high quality tonics are out there which have calories under 50 per serving [Q Tonic, the two Indian Tonics]. The market position of a diet tonic is clear to me. It is for folks who want a sweet gin and tonic, but they don’t want any calories.
Now, as a preface, I’ll ask: if you’re having gin [rife with calories] can’t you spare the extra 50 to mix it with a real tonic water?
Okay, but perhaps you can’t Perhaps you have a good reason. Let’s see what this diet tonic water has to offer:
Tasting
Almost watery upfront, clean and club soda like. Fizzy with a bit of bubbles. The effervescence fades quickly to a slight dash of bitterness [this is in line with the non diet version of Canada Dry] and then that saccharine mouth puckering sweetness. It’s a bit drying on the palette, reminiscent of the way that Q Tonic or even Indian Tonics feel at the end of the taste; though I find a little bit of an acidic sweetness lingering on the back of the palate after tasting.
Canada Dry Diet Tonic is clearly made to work with gin if you like the flavor of the tonic. It doesn’t overpower, or overwhelm, simply offering a bit of a sweetening counterpoint.
I find that it becomes acceptable once you add some lemon or lime. If you go “James Bond style” and add an entire fruit, you can almost mask the notes of diet tonic water.
Coming out
I should be completely honest with you. I’m not a fan of diet beverages, and I rarely drink them. That being said, even though I’m not crazy about artificial sweeteners, I have a hard time elevating Canada Dry’s Diet Tonic Water above “it gets the job done.” There are better options out there if you want low calories. I suggest giving Q Tonic a try, or even Fever Tree’s line of reduced calorie tonic waters. But on the same side of the coin, although I’m not crazy about it, there are actually even less successful tonics out there.
Price: $1.50 / L
Best consumed: Canada Dry Diet Tonic gets the job done, if you’ve acquired a taste for diet drinks, you might not even notice a difference. Lemon and lime help to cover the flavor of the artificial sweetener nicely.
Availability: Supermarkets everywhere, particularly in the Northeast where the Canada Dry brand is more common
Rating: It is what it is, no more and no less.
As for your confusion about why people seek a no cal tonic to mix with a high calorie gin, I will say that if you could find me a diet gin I would much prefer that as well! Millions of people want to watch their calorie and/or carbohydrates intake, and others want to restrict refined sugar. That does not mean that they don’t deserve to enjoy an adult beverage like anyone else. Many concessions have to be made to work alcohol into such a lifestyle however, so many people don’t have another 50 calories per serving to give.
For people who are avoiding sugar for health reasons (diabetic; pre-diabetic), diet tonic is the only option, as the 50 calories in regular tonic are pure sugar. That’s why I prefer to have a martini!
Where can the above product be purchased in Montreal, Quebec ?
can’t find this in any stores I have looked in all grocery stores from lindsay port perry and peterborough. if anyone knows where it’s hidding spill the secret please.
No were in the ingredients list artificial sweetener. So what are they using, I assumed not sweetener at all? I don’t want suger let alone artificial, and that is why I chose it. But you know the old saying don’t assume anthing it maks an a– out of u and me…Sold it at my spartan store in michigan.
uh, because I am a diabetic? And like tonic water (I don’t drink alcohol).
You missed a very important group of people dinking diet tonic water. My mom had severe cramps. The doctor said he could prescribe Quinine. However the pills were expensive. He said if she drank died tonic water with quinine in it it would help. My mom was a diabetic and obviously sugar is bad. I don’t know if regular tonic water would have worked. However, my mom swore by diet tonic water with quinine in it. She would drink i maybe 6 oz a night without anything else. Says it greatly reduced the cramps.
I’d go to the store pick up 4+ bottles at a time. Yes I know she wasn’t mixng it with anything because not only did I see her drink or I did all the shopping and don’t buy alcohol….
For the person looking for it I live near Chicago. I have gotten it at Jewel Osco, and Mariano’s. There is also another brand they sell I can’t think of the brand name right now. She liked this brand slightly more
As other comments have stated, the tonic water’s calories are undesirable for those with diabetes. Calories come from many sources; tonic water’s are entirely from sugar. It’s the sugar content that people are after, not the calorie count.
No sense looking for Canada Dry Diet Tonic water anywhere in Canada. Despite the product name, this is only available in the US. Beats me why the company won’t market this version in Canada. We’ve got every damn flavour of ginger ale Canada Dry produces, but not this. And I’ve asked why, and of course they don’t deign to give an answer.
So for now, Canadians who want a sugar free tonic water are s.o.l., unless they have some US friends who can bring some over….
Where to buy Canada Dry diet tonic water in montreal