I personally don't think so. If you're buying the cheapest of the cheap it'll just be bitter, fizzy, and stuffed to the gills with corn syrup but it's serviceable. There's plenty of easily accessible good quality tonic water in the states. I like tonic syrup because it gives you more control over the flavor of the drink you're making. If.you're taking it medicinally then syrup would probably be more palatable too, or at least easier to get down if you don't care for the flavor. It's typically a little sweeter and flavored with more botanicals than regular tonic water