The Balanced Espresso Tonic
Make your own refreshing espresso tonic - a contemporary favorite espresso-based drink on many specialty coffee shop menus around the world.
Dear coffee lovers,
Reportedly crafted by the brilliant minds at Koppi Roasters in Sweden, the espresso tonic recipe was widely introduced to coffee lovers in 2007. It’s a sophisticated sparkling drink that combines the deep, richness of espresso with the bright effervescence of tonic water for a refreshing sip. We’re excited to show you how to make this drink at home with espresso (the tastiest option) or coffee concentrate.
Let’s get brewing!
You’ll need
A medium roast coffee preferably with a citrus-y profile
An espresso machine for brewing at home
Don’t have an espresso machine? Brew 3-4oz of instant coffee for a faux-espresso or use an Aeropress with a flow control extension
A coffee grinder for espresso
Coffee Alive’s stainless steel blanching tool for flash-chilling espresso (optional)
Bartender’s jigger or angled jigger for measuring ingredients
Craft tonic water (Q Mixer Tonic, Fevertree Tonic, Topo Chico Tonic)
Simple syrup or a flavored syrup of your choice
For flavored syrups, we’d recommend: grapefruit, blood orange, or lavender
Ice cubes
Lemon wheel or lemon peel garnish (optional)
Ingredients
A shot of espresso (2oz)
4-6oz of tonic water (we used 6oz)
0.5-1oz of simple syrup
Recipe steps
Fill a 12oz glass with ice cubes (large, clear ice cubes work best if available).
Pour chilled tonic water (6oz) into a glass over ice.
Add your desired amount of simple syrup (start with 0.5oz and adjust to taste) and gently stir with the tonic water.
Flash-chill your espresso shot (2oz) by extracting it over the Coffee Alive blanching tool or let it rest 1-2 minutes to cool before incorporating.
Slowly pour the 2oz of chilled espresso (or 3-4oz coffee concentrate) into your glass to prevent the tonic's carbonation from agitating the espresso.
Layering technique: Pour the espresso slowly over the back of a spoon above the tonic water's surface to prevent the espresso from mixing with the tonic.
Add a lemon wheel to the rim of your glass or a lemon peel garnish, gently mix in the espresso, and enjoy! 💙
We hope you enjoy this iconic, sparkling espresso drink! The espresso tonic is a fantastic option if you’re looking for a bright and floral coffee drink to remind you of summertime. Let us know in the comments if you enjoyed this recipe and tell us if you made a unique syrup for this recipe.
Have a beautiful day,
Jon Hargreaves
Coffee Club Founder/Designer
Editor: Lexi Deverich
Direction: Huey Melendez & Cortez Artis
Photography: Huey Melendez