When Q is the A

The quintessential high summer cocktail known as gin and tonic got its start in British India, where khaki-clad officers in Her Majesty's service dreamed it up as a way of making their daily dose of quinine - the era's sovereign remedy against malarial fevers - more palatable. A tumbler of sweetened soda water and a splash of gin did wonders to make the bitter medicine go down. Since, gin has gone on to greater glory, but authentic quinine-fortified tonic water has been about as hard to come by as a subcontinental empire. Enter Q Tonic. Made by a Brooklyn company in a plant in Worcester, with real deal ingredients like organic agave, natural bitters, and Peruvian quinine, Q ($7.99 for four 6.3 ounce bottles) is delightfully different and distinctly adult - a far cry from some bland, cloying tonics we could mention, and ideal for those moments when you're feeling a bit Kipling-esque. Available at Wine Emporium, South End, 617-262-0379; Cambridge Wine & Spirits, 617-864-7171; Lower Falls Wine, Newton, 617-332-3000; Whole Foods, River St., Cambridge, 617-876-6990.