People are funny about tonic water. It’s almost exclusively mixed with gin or vodka but is actually pretty great on its own too or as a mixer for other bitter-friendly spirits.
Tonic water is essentially lemonade with quinine, a bitter compound extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree. It has been around since the early 19th Century when quinine powder, a malaria treatment, was sweetened and mixed with water to make it more palatable. The tonic water we get these days won’t stop you from getting malaria but it is definitely really tasty.
One drink that has kept popping up over the last year or so is the Espresso Tonic — simply an espresso shot and tonic water over ice. It seems to have originated in the States and gained momentum through specialty coffee legends, such as Stumptown and other West Coast coffee shops. It’s one of those drinks that hardcore coffee fans either love or hate. Some would never dilute the purity of the coffee, while others just like to try some great new drinks.
Coffee consumption slows in summer, especially in India, where people believe that it’s a winter beverage – people switch to cold drinks and corporate folk go to their baches, and so coffee companies are always looking for ways to get people to drink coffee in the warmer months. The citrus, floral and bitter flavours of tonic water match the tasting notes of many coffees which is why they complement each other really well. The sweetness of tonic water takes the edge off the extra bitterness. Here’s a detailed recipe for how we like to make out Espresso Tonic but you could even just make a strong filter coffee and mix a higher ratio of coffee to tonic. It’s definitely a bitter drink so not something for those who can’t handle Campari or black coffee, but if bitter is your thing this could be your new summer drink.
Here’s what you need
And here’s how you make it:
Fill a tall glass with ice, fill three-quarters with tonic water then pour the espresso short using a wet V60 paper to remove the crema. Yup, that’s all you need to do to make your new favourite summer beverage!
Tonic water is essentially lemonade with quinine, a bitter compound extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree. It has been around since the early 19th Century when quinine powder, a malaria treatment, was sweetened and mixed with water to make it more palatable. The tonic water we get these days won’t stop you from getting malaria but it is really tasty.