It all started on a warm summer night in Brooklyn. A couple of good friends were in my backyard for gin & tonics.
A few drinks in, my teeth felt strangely sticky. While Jon was talking, I picked up the bottle of tonic water and looked at the ingredients. 25 grams of high fructose corn syrup! Artificial flavors. And artificial preservatives. Sara was drinking a Sprite. I asked to see the can. It had 26 grams of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and artificial preservatives.
"Do you know that tonic water is virtually the same thing as Sprite?" "Really?" "I thought it was like club soda." And as soon as that we were on to something else. And then something else.
Maybe it was the gin, but the idea lingered. Justin brought this great (and expensive) bottle of Tanqueray over. And we were mixing it drink after drink with something that wasn't any good. Right then I looked up. The moon was shining down on the table. The light caught the Tanqueray and it looked like a glowing orb of green gin goodness. Next to it, the plastic tonic water bottle with its label peeling off and its contents going flat looked particularly decrepit.
In a flash I realized I could make a superior tonic water. One made from authentic ingredients and good enough to mix with my favorite gins, vodkas and rums.
I spent four years working to make that great tonic water. I tracked down farmers to source ingredients. Made the recipe in my Brooklyn kitchen. And spent late nights agonizing with one of America's best young designers to make a bottle as beautiful as the liquid it holds.
I came up with a superior tonic water. Immediately some of the world's best restaurants, cocktail lounges, liquor stores, and gourmet groceries started buying it from me. In New York I delivered it from my station wagon, with me doing the delivering and my dad driving. Then we got a bunch of press coverage and some larger chains joined them. And soon I was being asked for other sodas as tasty and high quality as Q Tonic.
For each Q drink I agonize like I did with Q Tonic. I source the absolute best ingredients I can find and then tinker and tinker with the recipe until I come up with something I love. Finally I work with a great designer to create packaging as beautiful and sophisticated as the liquid it holds.
So please enjoy. We certainly are,
Jordan Silbert
Founder