Mixwell Tonic Water draws inspiration for their dandelion flavored tonic water from a popular soda in the UK— the Dandelion and Burdock— and combines it with tonic water. Dandelion is not common in American soda culture; however, it shares cultural roots with other drinks like root beer.
More than just a dandelion tonic water, Mixwell adds cardamom flavor as well.
It is rather sweet compared to other contemporary tonic waters. Each can contains 2(!) servings of 8 oz. at 60 calories. There are 15g of organic cane sugar per serving.
Tasting notes
Aroma: Warm, with hints of ginger root and a bit of earthiness and black tea.
Flavor: Medium-sized bubble, largely concentrated on the entry. Lemon black tea flavor on the palate. Moderate mid-palate sweetness, but it’s not cloying. Quiet bitterness on the back, nicely balanced in terms of quinine/sugar.
Finish is slightly bitter. Cardamom and cinnamon notes are most prominent as faint echoes on the end.
Mixing notes
Mixing Mixwell Tonic Water with Star Keeper Gin, the spice notes come through most strongly. Pink peppercorn, black tea, grapefruit— they ease into a moderately bitter finish where spice and the dandelion come through.
Overall, Mixwell Dandelion Tonic Water
The Dandelion is there, but don’t be too concerned. Similar to other tonic waters that add bitter botanicals, you’re probably going to perceive it as part of the quinine. Despite it seemingly having a lot of sweetness in every can, it isn’t as sweet as I would have expected.
If you’re looking for bitter, you might not love the high levels of sweetening. If you’re looking for sweet, you might not like the added bitterness.
Overall, it’s a solid tonic water that mixes well with bold flavored, especially classic style gins— though it’s not clear who the audience for Mixwell Tonic Water might be. The bitter and sweet camps in tonic water are strongly divided— and this tonic water is designed for someone who likes both.
Availability
Mixwell tonic water is available from Amazon in the United States.