"Q" Is for Quinine

In the late-'30s, tonic water was made with quinine - a bitter extract made from cinchona bark, which was often used for such medicinal purposes as treating malaria.

Back then, tonic water wasn't even called tonic water - it was referred to as quinine water, which is why all soda, or squirt guns have a trigger labeled "Q." Although quinine is no longer used to make tonic water, the abbreviation stuck.

When we're feeling ornery, we'll quiz prospective bartenders on the labeling of the soda gun. If they know that the letter "T" stands "Tom Collins" and not "Tab," we're mildly impressed. If they know what the "Q" stands for, we're very impressed and tip appropriately.