While I wait on Marshall it’s time for the showdown…Stirrings versus Q tonic water.

I bought a bottle of Tanqueray 10 just to get ready for it!

First, the tonics by themselves.  I was going to add Schweppe’s in here but, man, did the diet kind suck!

In the pour, the Q was much more carbonated.

By itself, the Q was very subtle and nice in taste.  I also like the fact that it’s relatively low in calories.

The Stirrings had a much more pronounced taste to it, I believe of the quinine.

I then made two gin and tonics, SeanMike-style.  That’s adding in 2 ounces of Tanqueray 10 to each and an eighth of a lime.  (Actually, normally I’d use two ounces of Rangpur and a quarter lime, but that’s when the tonic water was bad…)

Again, the word for the Q was subtle.  It might’ve could’ve used a touch more lime, but that would probably run rough shod over the tonic.  I had chilled the tonic water instead of using ice, but I can’t help but think of the perfectly square tonic water ice cubes at PX…

There was a nice pop to the Stirrings and gin.  Again, that quinine taste stood out.

Both are very good in their own way.  For a day to day tonic, I think my preference would be for the Stirrings, as it’s bold enough that it would stand up to the abuse that I do to gin and tonics in the summer (for they really are summertime drinks for me).  However, if I wanted to show off some cocktails, I’d probably go for the Q.

The fact that I can only get the Q mail order in the DC area, and the Stirrings has disappeared from World Market, may make both of those moot…