Tag: Quinine myth

Historically, a soft drink known as tonic water, which contains quinine, was mixed with gin to help combat malaria during the British Empire's expansion in India. Despite this history, modern tonic water contains a negligible amount of quinine and no soft drink is good for malaria. In fact, most soft drinks are detrimental to recovery due to their high sugar and caffeine content.

While both coffee and quinine's source plant belong to the same botanical family, the answer to 'Does coffee have quinine?' is no for all practical purposes. The characteristic bitterness of your daily brew is caused by a complex cocktail of other natural alkaloids and acids formed during the roasting process.