Dark espresso slowly sinks into clear, fizzing tonic and leaves a brown cloud over the ice. The first sip is bitter, bright and cold, with the fruitiness of the coffee coming through the quinine.
4 oz
tonic water well chilled, not too sweet
1 oz
espresso a single shot, freshly pulled
¼ oz
simple syrup (optional)
Garnish: Orange twist · Ice: Ice cubes
Espresso Tonic
Bitter and bright: roasted coffee and fruit notes over the dry quinine of the tonic, with lively bubbles and a clean, cold finish.
The Espresso Tonic is a product of the specialty coffee scene rather than the bar world. A widely repeated account credits the Swedish roastery and café Koppi in Helsingborg with serving it in the late 2000s, and from Scandinavia it spread to coffee shops across Europe, North America and Asia during the 2010s.
Its success has a simple reason: light-roasted espressos with fruity, acidic notes pair very well with the bitterness and carbonation of tonic water. The drink is served like a highball, built over ice, and has become a standard summer item on many café menus.
No. It is made only of espresso and tonic water, with optional syrup.
A light or medium roast with fruity notes, for example from Ethiopia or Kenya. Dark roasts tend to taste burnt with tonic.
Hot espresso releases the carbon dioxide from the tonic. Pour slowly over a spoon and leave space at the top of the glass.
The perfect sound
Bitter, bright and quietly energising.
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