History Of Our Tonic

 

 

It all started as I once seriously said to myself –while producing, drying, packing and exporting supreme quality Cinchona succirubra bark from Guatemala to the world :
“ This –just alone, is not enough ! ”

As many of you, on 25 December 2004, and on the following days, I also witnessed the aftermath and devastation in S.E. Asia, caused by the terrible tsunami that decimated so many lives in the coastal areas of different islands once obliterated when the massive waves generated by the 9.1 in magnitude earthquake –with an epicenter just off northern Sumatra, started taking ashore all throughout.

In disbelief, while I was at that time in NY-city, I tried to process and ponder what I could do, and soon after decided that I would devote myself to create and manufacture an all natural Quinine-Tea that could be launched internationally to help not only those tsunami victims, but more importantly, all those that could be in harms way of malaria in highly vulnerable geographical areas where at malaria is an ever present threat.
Soon thereafter, in 2005, I developed and later patented the formula for malaria control with the Quinine-Tea ( www.quinine-tea.com ).
This product ( citrus flavored and partly sweetened  dusted Cinchona succirubra bark / red Cinchona ) readied for an infusion  treatment –following the medical criteria of the European Pharmacopoeia never had a real chance to impact the market due to the overwhelming strength and biased interests of the pharmaceutical industry as a whole, and the hard to convince governments that would halt my aim in providing an all natural, economic and culturally be-friend sound alternative for the preventive and curative treatment of malaria.

Ten years later, after many travels and still active in the Cinchona bark production and exports, I realized that if 95% of the world´s Cinchona bark exports are destined to the tonic drink industry, I could very well make use of my already trained skills and not less savvy knowledge for setting up a new and supreme all natural syrup, that could enjoy an avant-garde enriched taste with herbs, spices and many other fresh ingredients that the tropics could add to the final bottled product concentrate.

Here in Guatemala ( Central America ), on early December 2013, I set myself to the intensive task, quest and test of trying to find a delicate balance in the must-be bitter after taste of a Cinchona succirubra –bark based infusion and the refreshing and enhancing spells of citrus, sugar cane, and other organically grown and exotic –all locally available – fine herbal species that could bind well with the different spirits with which tonic blenders are regularly used for ( Gin, Vodka, Tequila, ..and so on ).

As Samuel Beckett wrote : “ Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again, Fail better. ”

Well then, after this intensive and rather long trying and failing, we firmly believe that we have finally reached a freshly scented and graceful bitter taste that would make your end drink far more enjoyable, you knowing that every time one of our bottles is opened, the scents will irrevocably flow out and render a unique enhancing character to both the savvy and casual drinker of quality spirits.

A very important issue and distinctive trait here and the most singular differentiating factor from other tonic syrup manufactures, is that my angle in this project as an agronomical engineer and plant pathologist, has a scope originating from the technical perspective of cultivating and processing the cinchona trees and its bark.
This particular understanding in many ways, serves better the task of looking for flavor from where it starts from: the tree and its own physiology.

Our commitment to the sustained quality performance of each batch and bottle, has been carefully planned with the sole inclusion of the finest herbs, other botanicals and most importantly: the best Cinchona succirubra ( Red Cinchona) taste coming out from thick and uniform  bark sections of each tree we harvest on a sustainable fashion, every 3 years for a period term of 60 years.

We grow our Cinchona succirubra trees  from 1,800 – 2,500 M.A.S.L .
Our trees height range is of aprox. 20 mts, with 30-50 years in average.
These both elements coupled: cultivation height and age, deem great results in the overall alkaloid levels and unique enhanced taste of the product, reason why S. America or Africa don´t match our premium quality, since most of their trees are in the wild, and if cultivated, their age doesn´t allow them to accumulate substantial alkaloid content in their bark, element that for Red Cinchona is quintessential for a unique bitter taste performance.

This important aspect alone, that has turned faces when comparing our product with S. America or Africa, is that our trees are standing for more than 30-40 years and the bark coming from those trees is significantly richer in total alkaloids ––since the bulk of alkaloids are accumulated in the base of the trunk´s lower portions (up to 3-5 mts from the bottom up), in what is called in plant physiology, BASIPETAL PHLOEMATIC TRANSLOCATION in CINCHONA. This aspect alone brings a solid statement for traders and end users in avoiding bark coming from rather younger trees whose growth and alkaloid yield is pushed at times with amino-fertilizing components.

On top of that, in our manufacturing process, we are enhancing the bitter taste of our  ED´S SUPREME TONIC SYRUP, by using a RAVAGING uniquely fresh-processed bark fluid extract which will leave you astonished and your senses overwhelmed with natural tastes that will land you on the realm of the immense forests where the trees grow at high altitude alongside the breath taking views of three colossal volcanoes that define part of our country´s mountain range. This is all just a small good additional reason for you to try the new  ED´S SUPREME TONIC SYRUP.

At the end, let the taste do the talking…