Espresso Tonic

An espresso tonic is 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: espresso with still cold water instead of tonic.
• Caffè shakerato: espresso shaken with ice and sugar.
• Mazagran: cold coffee with lemon, sometimes with seltzer.
• Espresso martini: the shaken coffee cocktail, with vodka.

Explore every drink in the iced and blended chapter.