Drinks
Espresso Tonic
Sounds wrong, is right. The afternoon drink I make when coffee feels heavy and a spritz feels early.
Prep
5 min
Cook
0 min
Serves
1
Level
Easy
Ingredients
1 shot — espresso, freshly pulled
150ml — tonic water, very cold
1 — wide strip of orange peel
ice, filled to the top
I resisted this for about two years on the grounds that it sounded like a dare. It is genuinely excellent, and the bitterness of the tonic and the acidity of the coffee do something neither does alone.
It lives or dies on the order you build it in and on the coffee being poured last.
Method
Fill a tall glass to the top with ice and pour the tonic over it. Let it settle for a moment.
Pull the espresso and let it cool for thirty seconds — pouring it boiling hot over ice makes it taste thin and sour.
Pour the espresso slowly over the back of a spoon so it layers on top rather than mixing straight in.
Twist the orange peel over the glass and drop it in. Stir only when you are ready to drink it.
A note
A lighter, fruitier roast works far better here than a dark one, which turns muddy against the quinine.
Good to know
More About This Recipe
Nutrition
Calories
70 kcal
Protein
0g
Carbs
16g
Fat
0g
Tips & tricks
Let the espresso cool for thirty seconds before it touches the ice — pouring it boiling hot melts too much ice too fast and the drink turns thin.
Pour it over the back of a spoon so it layers rather than mixing straight in — better to look at, and a slower flavor build as you drink.
Use a fresh shot, not one that’s been sitting. Espresso oxidises fast and turns sour within a few minutes of pulling.
Substitutions
Tonic water
A light tonic if regular tonic reads too sweet against the coffee — the bitterness balances differently but it still works.
Espresso
Strong stovetop or moka coffee, reduced slightly, if you don't have a machine — it won't have the crema, but the flavor holds.
Pairs well with
A caffeinated bookend to a slow breakfast — bitter and cold against butter and syrup.
Storage & leftovers
Doesn't keep — the ice is half melted and the espresso has gone flat within fifteen minutes. It's a five-minute drink; make it when you're ready to drink it.
Questions people ask
Does this actually taste good, or is it a novelty?
What roast works best?
Can I make it decaf?
Postcards from my kitchen
Made this one?
Tell me how it went, or what you did differently. The best changes to these recipes have come from readers.