# Espresso Tonic Source: https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/espresso-tonic/ Last updated: 2026-10-21 > An espresso tonic is a non-alcoholic drink of tonic water over ice with espresso poured on top, so it sits in layers: bitter, sweet and fizzy. A common build is 6–8 oz of tonic to a 2 oz double shot. It was first mixed in Oslo in 2007 and made famous by Koppi Roasters in Helsingborg, Sweden. ## At a glance - Chapter: Iced and blended - Served: Iced - Brewing method: https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/ - Glass: Highball glass with ice - Also known as: espresso and tonic, coffee tonic, Kaffe & Tonic ## Ingredients - 6–8 oz (180–240 ml) tonic water, chilled - 1 double shot (about 2 oz / 60 ml) espresso - a highball glass full ice - to taste sugar syrup or a citrus garnish (optional) ## Steps 1. **Ice and tonic**: Fill a highball glass with ice and pour in 6–8 oz of cold tonic water. 2. **Make the espresso**: Brew a double espresso, ideally a fruity or floral single origin, and let it cool slightly. 3. **Pour it on top**: Pour the espresso gently over the tonic so it floats in a layer and slowly trickles down. 4. **Serve**: Serve as it is, or stir very gently; the tonic will foam over if you stir too hard. An **espresso tonic** is [espresso](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/) poured over **ice-cold tonic water**, so it sits on top in a dark layer and slowly trickles down through the fizz. It's bitter, sweet and sparkling at once, with no alcohol, and Trade compares it to the great simple mixed drinks like the gin and tonic. It began in **Scandinavia** in 2007 and spread around the world through barista competitions. Here's how to make one and how it started. ## The short version - **Tonic water over ice, espresso on top.** - **About 6–8 oz of tonic** to a 2 oz double shot. - **Layered**, then stirred gently, if at all. - **No alcohol**, though gin versions exist. - **Born in Oslo in 2007**, made famous by Koppi in Sweden. ## How do you make an espresso tonic? Trade's recipe: | Ingredient | Amount | | --- | --- | | Tonic water, cold | 6–8 oz (180–240 ml) | | Espresso | 2 oz, a double shot, freshly brewed and slightly chilled | | Ice | Plenty, in a highball glass | 1. **Fill a highball glass with ice** and pour in the tonic. 2. **Brew a double espresso**, and let it cool slightly. Trade recommends plenty of ice and slightly chilled espresso, because the drink is best served cold. 3. **Pour the espresso gently on top**, so it rests on the tonic and slowly trickles through. 4. **Serve**, or stir very gently: the carbonation makes a mess if you agitate it too much, Trade warns. **Pour order matters.** Wikipedia explains that pouring espresso onto iced tonic gives a layered drink, while pouring tonic onto espresso makes a head of foam. ## Which coffee and tonic should you use? Many cafés use a **single-origin espresso** with floral, herbal or fruity notes, Trade says, and because the tonic's flavour is up front, it's worth using a premium or craft tonic rather than a generic mixer. The original was espresso, tonic and a dash of syrup; today there are endless variations, with garnishes, flavoured ice or citrus. Wikipedia mentions lemon, cherry, lime and honey, and credits Japanese baristas with first adding extra flavours. Imbibe's variations include lime juice, gin, and genever with orange flower water. ## Where did the espresso tonic come from? **Oslo and Helsingborg, 2007.** Trade and Wikipedia agree that it was first mixed in **Oslo** in 2007 by a barista colleague of **Anne Lunell** and **Charles Nystrand**. Later that year, the pair founded **Koppi Roasters** in **Helsingborg**, Sweden, and put it on their menu as **Kaffe & Tonic**. It became popular at Koppi and across Scandinavia, then crossed to North America through barista competitions. By **2014**, Trade says, it was gaining ground in cafés in New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. It's a young drink, but its ingredients aren't: Wikipedia notes that tonic water was patented in London in 1858. ## Espresso tonic vs other iced coffees - **[Iced Americano](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/iced-americano/):** espresso with still cold water instead of tonic. - **[Caffè shakerato](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/caffe-shakerato/):** espresso shaken with ice and sugar. - **[Mazagran](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/mazagran/):** cold coffee with lemon, sometimes with seltzer. - **[Espresso martini](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/espresso-martini/):** the shaken coffee cocktail, with vodka. Explore every drink in the [iced and blended chapter](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/iced-coffees/). ## FAQs ### Does an espresso tonic contain alcohol? No. Wikipedia calls it a non-alcoholic mixed drink. Imbibe gives versions that add gin or genever if you want a cocktail. ### What is the ratio for an espresso tonic? It varies, but Trade says the most common versions use 6–8 oz of tonic water topped with 2 oz, a double shot, of fresh espresso. ### Should you pour the espresso or the tonic first? Usually the tonic first. Wikipedia says pouring espresso over iced tonic makes a layered drink; pouring tonic onto espresso makes a head of foam. Trade warns that stirring too hard makes a mess because of the fizz. ### Who invented the espresso tonic? A barista colleague of Anne Lunell and Charles Nystrand mixed it in Oslo in 2007, Trade and Wikipedia say. Lunell and Nystrand then founded Koppi Roasters in Helsingborg, Sweden, later that year and put it on the menu as Kaffe & Tonic. ### What espresso is best for an espresso tonic? Many cafés use a single-origin espresso with floral, herbal or fruity notes, Trade says, and it's worth using a good tonic, because its flavour is up front. ## Sources - [Deep dive: what is an espresso tonic?](https://www.drinktrade.com/blogs/education/what-is-espresso-tonic) - [Espresso and tonic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espresso_and_tonic) - [Five takes on the coffee & tonic](https://imbibemagazine.com/five-takes-on-the-coffee-tonic/)