While a battle is waged in the world of spirits, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that a Milwaukee-based company is working on improving mixers, which is why I accepted an invitation to try the lineup from Top Note Tonic.
“Top Note mixers are fresh, playful and encourage experimentation,” Co-Founder Mary Pelletieri said in a statement. “I crafted them for mixability, drinkabilty, quality and versatility to elevate the modern cocktail experience.”
The Indian Tonic Water is not as harsh as a traditional tonic, and you can definitely notice the sweetness from the cane sugar. The described bitterness comes in the aftertaste. Indian Tonic Water previously won an award from the Specialty Food Association as “best new cocktail mixer in the U.S.”
The simplest description of the Bitter Lemon Tonic is that it’s a lemony tonic, leaning more toward Squirt than Sprite. It’s not sour and has the right amount of sweetness. I mixed it with extra dry gin, and the gin was still prevalent.
I like ginger ale and I like beer, but I’ve never liked ginger beer for some reason. However, I do like Top Note’s Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic), as it’s not too fizzy and packs a lot of ginger flavor. I used it for a Moscow Mule and thought it was a perfect concoction.
As an aside, Top Note is launching a $1 million round of equity investing on Fundable.com. According to a release, the funds will support a build-out of its sales and marketing team and pipeline new products.
This fall, Top Note will add Grapefruit and Classic Tonic. You can find Top Note at restaurants and stores in Madison including The Old Fashioned, RED Sushi, Festival Food and Riley’s.
Photo credit: Jim Moy
