There are lots of versions of carbonated water to choose from. They each have distinctions -- some more subtle than others.

Tonic water was created in the mid-19th century by Erasmus Bond as a way to make the antimalarial quinine more palatable. Because of quinine’s bitter taste, manufacturers added sugar ...

We break it down for you here: Indian tonic water has been the go-to partner for gin since the colonial era when British army officers downed the quinine-heavy liquid to help them fight off malaria.