The Gin is In has covered several variants of the Jeffrey’s Tonic Syrup line. Jeffrey’s Lime, Galangal, and Orange Tonic Syrup won our 2018 award for Best Flavored Tonic Syrup.
Jeffrey’s Tonic began with a book about gin— And that was all the inspiration that Mike and Maureen needed to take on their adventure in developing their own tonic syrup. While tonic syrups have become quite common in the United States, there’s vastly fewer on the market in the U.K. where Mike and Maureen live.
Seeing a gap in the market, the two developed a line of syrups featuring natural, and what they describe as “unusual flavors.”
Tasting Notes
On its own Jeffrey’s Tonic Syrup has a strong note of cinnamon. It’s very sweet and very vibrant, like sugar and cinnamon in melted butter.
On its own, the moderate viscosity of the syrup confirms my initial note. Yes, it reminds me of cinnamon honey butter. But Jeffrey’s Tonic Syrup adds a moderate note of quinine. Spice continues to be dominant. Cardamom and even a hint of allspice add color on a generally spice forward finish.
It dissolves nicely when soda water is added. The cinnamon which was near overpowering when sipping Jeffrey’s Tonic Syrup on its own, becomes a nicely balanced background note. Cinnamon is still among the dominant flavor characters; however, it’s more a tonic water than a cinnamon soda.
Boodles Gin and Jeffrey’s Tonic Syrup
The nose has hints of both cinnamon and juniper. The front of the palate is generally juniper dominant; however, cinnamon comes on mid-palate. It’s the dominant flavor here.
Towards the finish, Jeffrey’s Tonic Syrup adds a hint of citrus (which is absent in Boodle’s). The finish is somewhat light on the quinine notes. Fans of less bitter tonics will find a lot to like here.
Overall
Jeffrey’s Tonic Syrup is a quality line of tonic syrups through and through. They’re all worth your attention.
I recommend Jeffrey’s original recipe tonic syrup for dressing up gins that need a little extra sweet spice character. It worked well with Boodle’s Gin and might be an ideal companion for gins like Tanqueray. But with gins that have a loud spice profile already, Jeffrey’s Tonic might battle for attention.
Overall, Jeffrey’s Tonic Syrup is a nicely made tonic syrup worth the attention of anyone looking for a well-made syrup mixer for their next G&T.