SUNDOWNER ON YOUR AFRICAN SAFARI
Africa’s Famous Happy Hour

You may not realize it as you enjoy your sundowner but you are part of a long tradition here in Africa. This marking of the day’s end originated during the years of colonial rule, with the British troops, taking their gin and tonics out on the plain both as a social drink and for health reasons.

Winston Churchill was said to have quipped, “The gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire.”

So what were these special properties of the G and T, as the famous drink became known, that prompted Churchhill’s admiration?

In the 17^th century, malaria was a scourge that felled great swaths of tropical populations. But it was discovered that quinine, which was derived from the South American cinchona tree, could effectively treat the disease. The Jesuits learned of the healing properties of the tree’s bark from the indigenous peoples and introduced it for medical use in Europe.

The quinine was distilled into a tonic and so staved off the fatal disease. However, the taste of quinine was terribly bitter, so to make it more palatable, British troops mixed it with sugar, lime, and gin. This last, the gin, was part of their standard rations. Thus, the timeless gin and tonic concoction was born.