Move over, iced coffee: Espresso tonic is the hottest cool drink this summer - The Dallas Morning News

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The dog days of summer beg for a cool and refreshing drink, and life begs for coffee. The espresso tonic answers both callings, brilliantly.

The drink has humble beginnings, born at Koppi Roasters Cafe in Helsingborg, Sweden. According to Anne Lunell, one of the founders, espresso tonic was created after a staff party with leftover tonic, a little syrup, and espresso, in 2007. Upon opening the cafe, the drink Kaffe & Tonic became part of menu. For the next 10 years, the K & T was the most popular cold drink served.

“At least 95% of all iced coffees we sold was Kaffe & Tonic,” Lunell said in an interview with EuropeanCoffeeTrip.com. “Another reason why it has spread so widely is likely that it is very Instagrammable. It just looks really cool and delicious.”

While coffee is the rockstar of the drink, tonic does make a difference. Tonic is a mixture of water, sweetener, citric acid, quinine, and, sometimes, flavoring. Quinine, the bitter compound, is derived from the bark of the Cinchona tree and is a common treatment for malaria in large doses.

Using tonic with bright and acidic notes will result in the most complex outcome. East Imperial, available at us.eastimperial.com, is a floral and botanical old world blend. Fever Tree is a lighter, sweeter mixture, and the Mediterranean flavor tends to be a favorite in recipes, and is widely available. Schweppes is citrusy. Q is a less sweet, more bitter tonic. Three Cents Aegean, available at Pogo’s Wines and Spirits, is an herbaceous blend with cucumber and basil notes, and is created by pumping carbon dioxide into the drink at high pressure so as to remain extra fizzy for a longer period of time.

The espresso tonic’s attraction is the perfect balance of the coffee’s acidity, the tonic’s fruity, bitter, and sweetness, and the resulting combination. Incredibly refreshing! Local coffee shops agree, embracing the Insta-worthy trend.

A version of espresso tonic at Katy Coffee Lab uses Topo Chico as a replacement for tonic.(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

At Katy Coffee Lab in Dallas, the barista team has a twist that subs tonic for Topo Chico and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Using the single origin light roasted coffee, El Desarallo, from Columbia, results are complex and bright. The coffee shop opened June 2019, serving their version of espresso tonic from the start. According to the team, they changed the tonic to Topo Chico, looking to make the drink a hometown beverage.

Manager Roberto Grimaldo pours an espresso shot into tonic water at Ascension Coffee.(Juan Figueroa / Staff photographer)

Ascension Coffee, with multiple locations in the Metroplex, started serving espresso tonic in 2012, and has seen significant growth recently. Roberto Grimaldo, manager of the Oak Lawn shop, describes their espresso tonic ― made with their signature Levitate espresso blend ― as having Tabasco, dark chocolate and caramel notes. Combined with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic, the result is a “foamy” refreshing cold coffee drink, just what a Texan needs in the summer heat.

To make it at home, use espresso if you have a machine, or go with cold brew. Cold brew has a lowered bitterness and elevated fruitiness that works well in the drink. While this is hardly a recipe, a garnish of either citrus or cherries adds a startling change to the flavor profile. If you wish to experiment, a dash or two of bitters is a good addition. Try cherry bitters with cherry garnish to layer flavors. All ingredients should be cold for the best outcome.

Espresso Tonic drinks (Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

Espresso Tonic with Cold Brew

4 to 6 ounces artisan tonic of choice, chilled

2 ounces cold brewed coffee

Sliced lemons, limes or cherries, for garnish

Fill glass to the top with ice. Add tonic to 3/4 full. Top with cold brewed coffee. Garnish. Drink immediately.

Makes 1 drink.

The Espresso Tonic drink at Ascension Coffee (Juan Figueroa / Staff photographer)

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