Nordic · summer
Espresso tonic is a shot of espresso poured over tonic water and ice, born in Scandinavian cafés. Why quinine and coffee work together, and how to layer one.
Espresso tonic is a shot of espresso poured over tonic water and ice. It emerged from Scandinavian specialty cafés around 2007 and is now on menus worldwide.
Tonic water’s quinine bitterness and citrus acidity meet coffee’s own acidity rather than fighting it. The carbonation lifts aromatics off the surface, so the drink smells strongly of the coffee.
It works best with bright, fruity, light-roast coffee — a washed Ethiopian or a Kenyan. A dark chocolatey espresso clashes badly.
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add 150 to 200 ml (5 to 7 oz) of cold tonic water. Pull a single or double espresso and pour it gently over the back of a spoon so it layers on top.
Serve unstirred so the layers are visible, and let the drinker mix.
Chill the espresso if you can — pouring hot espresso onto ice melts it and dilutes the drink.
A slice of orange or grapefruit is common. Some cafés use a flavored tonic; most do not.
Too much tonic, and it tastes of tonic. Aim for roughly 1:4 espresso to tonic and adjust.
A dry, less sweet tonic lets the coffee show; very sweet supermarket tonics bury it. Premium Indian tonics are a good default. Elderflower or Mediterranean tonics add their own aromatics and suit floral coffees. Pour slowly down the side of the glass to keep the fizz, and keep the tonic very cold, since warm tonic foams up hard when the espresso hits it.
The equipment this actually requires — not a shopping list, the shortest route to doing it properly.
58 mm (2.28 in) commercial portafilter · 3-way solenoid · steel body
A 58 mm (2.28 in) commercial portafilter, a steel body and a three-way solenoid, in a machine cheap enough to modify. Nothing else at this price is still worth owning in fifteen years, and nothing else has this much of an aftermarket.
Best for: Someone who wants one espresso machine for the next fifteen years and does not mind learning it.
Double-walled borosilicate that keeps a drink hot and the outside cool, and shows the layers of a latte. Cheap enough to replace when one inevitably goes.
Best for: Espresso-based milk drinks, and anyone who likes seeing them.
