Tipples Beer Review #40 Doctor’s Orders Tonic (Australia)

This week I’m inspired (sort of) by another Steemit drinker @mazzle this post here: https://steemit.com/beersaturday/@mazzle/mazzle-review-s-a-beer-that-tastes-like-tonic-water-plus-some-christmas-beers mentions that he’d be drinking Doctors Order Tonic, which he didn’t particularly like, but I had a couple of cans in the fridge so I thought why not give it a go and see if I agree with him, that’ll make a good post so here we are.

Let’s start with who Doctor’s Orders are – It’s ‘brewery’ run my Darren ‘Doc’ Robinson, who is an IT professional by day, gypsy (or as he prefers to call it cuckoo) brewer by night (or maybe the other way around given most of the IT people I’ve meet). He doesn’t own a brewery but rather brews at various other breweries around the country. Doctor’s Order have a fond place in my heart because they produce amazing, really interesting challenging beers – the first Imperial Pilsener I ever had was theirs, the first white IPA I actually liked, they have had various good sours over their 7 or 8 years. The squid ink beer I could have done without though.

This beer is straight out of the ‘pushing the boundaries’ playbook for the Doc – it’s called Tonic and it designed to either drink by itself, and is meant to be refreshing and summery like tonic water or you can make Gin and Tonics with it (it replacing the tonic water). I like summer, and G&T’s and beer so what could go wrong?

By itself looks like a simple witbier light straw yellow, lightly carbonated. It doesn't taste like tonic water at all, it’s not sweet and no quinine taste, but there is something that gives you the impression of that although it’s not exactly tonic water it has the vibe of tonic water, it’s like what Jonah Hill is to Seth Rogen, similar but not actually the same thing. Maybe it’s the little bite at the end of the sip, who knows. It is very refreshing, suits summer, not one beer nerds but could be a cross over hit for the white wine or cider crew.

Actually works better when mixed with the Gin, which we have done the right way with ice and fresh lime. It feels sophisticated and has most of the flavours of a G & T, and the obvious aftertaste has gone, I could see myself on a patio of a plantation drinking this, or maybe the deck of sail boat whilst wearing a linen shirt, which I think is actually just a Duran Duran video.

So if you are in Australia pick up one of the impeccably designed cans (Doctor’s Orders have the best logo of any brewery in Australia), maybe get some Bombay Sapphire and give this cocktail a whirl.

Oh and finally – This is entered in the weekly #Beersaturday competition run by @detlev So if you want me to win vote for me below or in my comment on the main page here: https://steemit.com/beersaturday/@detlev/whoot-31-weeks-of-steemit-beersaturday-challenge-join-and-win-from-15-sbd-in-prizes and as always drink on people, drink on