Tonic and Espresso – Easier Than You Think

Do you remember having a drink that completely blew your mind? For me, that was summer of 2015. I had my first Tonic and Espresso from Bakers and Baristas, a new shop that opened up close by. I loved a good gin and tonic, but mixing tonic water with espresso? Is that even possible?

This was new for me in 2015. I was just barely starting to get into specialty coffee. Coffee cocktails were not really on my radar yet (in fact, this drink was just starting to make its rounds in the US… more on that below). But it was love at first sip. As soon as those flavors hit my mouth I knew this was going to be one of my favorites. 

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Tonic water is carbonated water infused with quinine. It has a bitter flavor, much like the bitterness of a lemon or lime. Quinine is extracted from the bark of the Andean Tree (Cinchona) and some have traced back its usage as far back as 1630 by Jesuit missionaries in South America to treat diseases. According to legends, an Indian with a high fever was lost in an Andean jungle and came across a pool of water surrounded by quina-quina trees. He drank from the water and found that it tasted bitter and thought he was poisoned. His fever went away shortly after, and he shared his discovery with his fellow villagers. 

There is debate on how European countries adopted it, but during the 17th Century, quinine was used by British soldiers to fight against malaria. They began to mix it with gin at one point to mask the extremely bitter flavor. While we don’t associate tonic water with fighting diseases anymore, tonic water has an interesting background. Today, you can find so many different brands of tonic water. My absolute favorite is Fever Tree. But there are other budget-friendly options when you choose a store brand tonic water.  For this post, I’ll be using tonic water that I picked up at my local Trader Joes. 

Who invented the Tonic and Espresso?

Little did I know that this drink goes back to 2007. According to Karolina Kumstova, this drink was made popular by Koppi Roasters in Helsingborg, Sweden. Anne Lunnell, one of the owners, stated that one of their colleagues mixed some coffee, syrup and leftover tonic water after a staff party one night. The result was refreshing and delicious, and inspired them to refine the idea for their shop they opened a few months later. The “Kaffe & Tonic” was born, and the idea spread as a result of Barista Competitions over the years. It is said that it began to spread to the US by 2014.

What do I need?

Ingredients for an Espresso and Tonic

This recipe is super easy. Assuming you have a way to pull a couple ounces of espresso, all you need is some tonic water. If you don’t have an espresso machine, there are other options to make strong coffee. You can use an Aeropress to make an espresso-like coffee. Wacaco’s Nanopresso is a great option to pull espresso with Nespresso pods (or your own espresso beans). There is also the Moka Pot for stove-top espresso. I’ve also heard that you can use cold brew – You can follow our recipe for making an easy cold brew at home!

I don’t have a super fancy machine at home, but I can still get good results using my small De’Longhi espresso machine. It’s an entry-level espresso machine, but it gets the job done.

Tonic and Espresso on a wood table

Tonic and Espresso

This coffee cocktail is refreshing as it is caffeinated! For those that like that bitter and bubbly flavor, this is a sure winner no matter what season it is.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Recipe Type Coffee Drink
Servings 1 Drink

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz Tonic Water
  • 2 oz Espresso

Instructions
 

  • Pour the tonic water over ice into your favorite iced cup.
    Tonic water being poured into a glass cup.
  • Pull a double espresso (or espresso alternative).
    A shot of espresso being pulled on an espresso machine
  • Pour the espresso on top and enjoy that first sip.
    Espresso and Tonic sitting on a table
Keyword Tonic and Espresso

Other Variations of the Tonic and Espresso

Tonic and Espresso on a wood table

If you like the bitter flavor of tonic water, this is a perfect way to cool off and get caffeinated. There are other variations of this drink that just require a bit of syrup, and/or a fruit garnish. My personal favorite is adding some lime simple syrup – which you can read about in another post. Today I shared the most basic form of this drink. If you try out different tonic waters, or play around with different types of coffee origins, you will get different taste results with each combination. Let us know what you try out and comment below!

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2 thoughts on “Tonic and Espresso – Easier Than You Think”

  1. Pingback: Just Add Zest: How to Make Lime Simple Syrup - The Coffee Nerds

  2. Pingback: The Nanopresso by Wacaco - A Product Review - The Coffee Nerds

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