In its relentless search for the finest ingredients since the very beginning, Fever-Tree has had a few encounters that turned out to be defining. The encounter with the Vidal family, based in the Drôme region of Provence, is a perfect example. It is their lemon thyme, whose essential oils are among the most highly regarded in the world, that gives Mediterranean Tonic Water its distinctive aromatic signature.

An encounter in the Drôme

On one of those ingredient-sourcing trips, Charles, Fever-Tree’s co-founder, met four generations of the Vidal family, one of the last French families still cultivating top-quality lemon thyme. Rooted in the Drôme for centuries, the Vidal family has built a reputation that extends far beyond France. Their essential oils are now regarded worldwide as a benchmark for quality.

While the family grows several varieties of thyme, it was their lemon thyme, Thymus citriodorus, that Fever-Tree chose for its tonic. Beyond the product itself, the collaboration celebrates craftsmanship that has been passed down through the family and is still very much alive today.

Lemon thyme, a rare ingredient

On the rocky slopes of southern France, the warm air blowing in from the Mediterranean sweeps inland and creates ideal growing conditions for aromatic shrubs. Well-drained soil and long sunny days all help the plants thrive and give their aromas greater depth.

The harvest takes place only once a year, between May and June, when the hillsides are covered in thick carpets of blue, pink, and white flowers. The flowers are then cut and taken to an open-air distillery less than a mile from the fields. There, straw fires heat vats of water set beneath racks piled with flowers. Steam rises, the essential oils are released, and the air fills with an intense thyme fragrance. The resulting oils are then collected in clear glass jars so their purity can be checked by eye.

From Provence to your glass

Once Fever-Tree has these essential oils, it blends them with highly carbonated spring water and quinine sourced from its Cinchona ledgeriana trees grown along the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. This blend gives Mediterranean Tonic Water its refreshing character, with subtle citrus and floral notes, and makes it just as enjoyable on its own when served ice-cold.

Unsurprisingly, it also pairs beautifully with gin and vodka, especially in a drink like Gin & Tonic: A Mediterranean Breeze, which is simply built in a large balloon glass over ice with 50 ml of premium gin, 150 ml of Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water, and a twist of lime.

Romain Robic's signature twist

To bring out the Mediterranean character even more, Romain Robic, bartender at Classique in Paris, created a twist that highlights the flavors of Provence even further:

  • 35 ml of rosé from Provence
  • 15 ml of Otto's Vermouth
  • 35 ml of rhubarb and ginger water
  • 5 ml of jasmine hydrosol
  • 30 ml of Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water

The result is a sun-drenched long drink that brings out the floral freshness of the Vidal family’s lemon thyme to the fullest.

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