Combine all ingredients except sugar and bay leaf in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain out solids and transfer back into saucepan.
Add and dissolve the sugar then add bay leaf. Steep for 15 minutes.
Remove bay leaf and bottle the syrup.
Notes
Caution: Measure cinchona bark precisely. Over consumption of quinine can cause cinchonism. You won’t die, but you could experience mild symptoms such as sweating, blurred vision, impaired hearing, abdominal pain, dizziness, and nausea to name a few. More severe symptoms could include temporary deafness, temporary blindness, and abnormal heartbeat.It is safer to use the cinchona bark as opposed to cinchona powder. If you use quinine sulfate, use extreme caution and use a very accurate scale. This recipe is not intended to be used with quinine sulfate. For more info on the safety concerns of quinine, check out this article on Cocktail Safe.