There’s few things as enjoyable as an iced coffee on a hot day, and I’m guilty of spending far too much money treating myself to a coffee when I’m out and about. All it takes is the smell of freshly brewed coffee to lure me into a nearby cafe and suddenly I find myself a few British pounds poorer, but a whole lot happier with my iced coffee in hand.
My order is either an oat flat white or an Americano if I don’t fancy milk, which is simply made by adding water to an espresso for a taller drink. An iced latte with oat milk and maybe a splash of vanilla is about as fancy as I get when it comes to coffee, but when I saw a recipe for coffee that uses tonic water, I had to try it.
Elizabeth Minchilli has gained over 100,000 followers documenting her life in Italy, sharing traditional drinks and foods that you might not have heard of, and mixing an espresso with tonic water was one I’d never come across.
In the video, Elizabeth said she had “completely forgotten about one of [her] favourite coffee drinks” and proceeded to show viewers how she gets a cup of ice and fills this halfway with tonic water, before adding her espresso.
While ordering an espresso is tradition in Italy, after doing some research, I found out that adding tonic water to it isn’t. Thinking I’d stumbled across an Italian delicacy, I was a little disappointed to find out that this actually originated in Sweden.
According to the blog European Coffee Trip, the drink first appeared on the menu at Koppi Roasters in Helsingborg in 2007, where it was officially named Kaffe&Tonic, and has since become popular around the world.
Instead of adding milk to my usual mid-afternoon iced latte this week, I tried adding tonic water and I was surprised at just how delicious and refreshing it tasted.
Tonic water is slightly sweet, and fizzy, which compliments the bitterness of a double espresso and transforms the drink.
I also sip my coffee fairly slowly, which can sometimes be slightly unappetising if I’ve got an iced latte that’s gone watery, but adding tonic water means you don’t risk this.
I’ve officially converted to a Kaffe&Tonic, and some people commented on Elizabeth’s video recommending adding a slice of lime or grapefruit to the drink. I didn’t have these on hand, but I’ll definitely be trying these too in the future.
How to make a coffee with tonic water
Fill a class all the way with ice and pour the tonic in until it’s about halfway full. You can top this up after if you like, based on your preference.
Let this sit and get cold while you prepare your espresso. Make a double espresso and pour it gently into the glass, giving it a stir before drinking. Add a slice of lime if you’d like and enjoy.