Maybe the most pertinent place to start is by answering 'what is Espresso tonic?' Quite simply it's tonic water mixed with espresso and while it's perhaps not the most obvious flavour combination it genuinely does work and has been buzzing about, in various forms, in coffee circles for the last 5 years or so.
You wouldn't think it but Tonic can actually be a perfect compliment to coffee and a great substitute when avoiding milk. Trace amounts of the pleasantly bitter Quinine (originally used to treat Malaria) combined with some added sweetness and (with some brands) botanical flavourings support and enhance taste notes commonly found in coffee. Tonic also has the benefit of being carbonated and, when served iced cold, can take an otherwise heavy tasting coffee beverage and transform it into something light and refreshing without compromising the taste.
The trick to getting this perfect is the concentration of the coffee you use. We suggest 60ml although this might be too strong for if it's coffee straight from an espresso machine. Coffee Pods use slightly less coffee for the same amount of liquid and you should find that a double shot creates the perfect concentration for blending into tonic. An alternative also might be to set aside filter brewed coffee and experiment with adding a little more (70-80m) to taste.
Ingredients:
- 60ml Volcano Coffee Works The Brixton coffee pods
- 170ml Tonic Water
- 1x Lime Wedge
- Ice
Method:
- Prepare a double espresso and set aside to cool
- Fill up a glass with ice.
- Squeeze the lime juice on top of the ice.
- Pour in the tonic water and then slowly pour the double espresso on top.
- Serve with a wedge of lime.
Enjoy!
