Citrus Espresso Tonic with Orange

Name: Citrus Espresso Tonic with Orange
Prep time: 6 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: espresso 120 ml; tonic water 300 ml; orange slice 2 ea; lemon peel 2 g; simple syrup 2 tsp; ice 1 cup

Quick answer

Total time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Espresso poured slowly over the back of a spoon floats on cold tonic, leaving a clear, fizzy layer below and a dark coffee layer above.

The quinine bitterness in the tonic meets the bitterness of the coffee, and a little syrup plus orange and lemon peel keep the finish bright.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

orange slice2 ea

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Fill a tall glass with 1 cup of firm ice cubes and chill the glass for about 1 minute.

Use solid cubes, not crushed ice, so the tonic stays cold without diluting too quickly.
2

Keep 300 ml of tonic water very cold until the moment you pour it.

Open the bottle or can gently, without shaking, so the bubbles stay stable before they reach the glass.
3

Pour the cold tonic slowly between the ice cubes, then add 2 teaspoons of simple syrup.

Stir only once or twice with a spoon, just enough to combine, because overmixing drives off carbonation.
4

Pull 120 ml of strong espresso and let it cool for about 30 seconds.

It should remain warm but not strongly steaming, since very hot coffee makes the tonic foam up and lose bubbles quickly.
5

Hold the back of a spoon close to the tonic surface and pour the espresso in a thin, steady stream.

Avoid pouring hard into one spot, or the clear tonic layer and coffee layer will merge.
6

Place 2 orange slices on the rim and twist 2 g of lemon peel over the glass to release citrus oils.

Serve while the layers are visible, then stir once just before drinking for a balanced sip.