Homemade Tonic Water - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 cups water
3 cups white sugar
3 limes, zested and juiced
3 stalks lemon grass, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
6 tablespoons citric acid powder
3 tablespoons powdered cinchona bark

Preparation

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Reduce heat to low; stir in lime zest, lime juice, lemon grass, citric acid, and powdered cinchona bark. Simmer until cinchona is thoroughly dissolved, about 30 minutes.
Remove from heat; let mixture cool, about 15 minutes. Strain through a colander. Run the syrup through coffee filters or cheesecloth to remove sandy bits of bark.