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International

Espresso tonic

Vegetarian

A fizzy, bittersweet café drink of chilled tonic water over ice with an espresso floated on top — no alcohol.

Espresso tonic is an International cold drink, ready in about 2 minutes and made with tonic water and espresso. It serves 1 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
1 min
Cook
1 min
Total
2 min
Serves
1
Level
Beginner
Calories
54

Ingredients

1 glass

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Fill a glass with ice and pour in the cold tonic (opens in a new tab) gently, leaving a 3 cm gap at the top.

    • Step 2

      Pull the espresso (opens in a new tab) into a small jug, let the foam settle for a few seconds, then pour it very slowly over the back of a spoon onto the tonic (opens in a new tab) so it floats.

      Pouring fast makes the tonic foam up and overflow.

    • Step 3

      Garnish with orange (opens in a new tab) and stir just before drinking.

        Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
        How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

      About this dish

      Origin
      Not attributed to one place · Origin uncertainA modern speciality-coffee drink of the 2000s–2010s; its first café is not reliably documented.Also popular in Sweden, Denmark, United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea
      Dish
      Snack · Brunch · Cold drinks · Mocktails
      Cooking method
      No-cook
      Taste
      bitter, refreshing, sweet, citrusy
      Diet
      Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
      All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
      Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
      Cook more with
      Espresso

      Allergens

      None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

      Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

      Nutrition

      54 kcal per serving

      Estimated

      1 serving ≈ 286 g · recipe makes 1

      Where the energy comes from

      • Protein 0%
      • Carbohydrate 98%
      • Fat 2%
      Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
      NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
      Energy54 kcal19 kcal
      Protein0 g0 g
      Carbohydrate13.8 g4.8 g
      Net carbohydrate13.8 g4.8 g
      Sugars13.2 g4.6 g
      Added sugars12.8 g4.5 g
      Fibre0 g0 g
      Fat0.1 g0 g
      Saturated fat0 g0 g
      Trans fat0 g0 g
      Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
      Sodium25 mg9 mg
      Salt equivalent0.1 g0 g
      Vitamins & minerals per serving
      Potassium
      41 mg
      Calcium
      12 mg
      Iron
      0.1 mg
      Magnesium
      31 mg
      Vitamin A (RAE)
      0 µg
      Vitamin C
      0 mg
      Vitamin D
      0 µg
      Vitamin B12
      0 µg
      Folate (DFE)
      0 µg

      How these numbers were made

      • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
      • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
      • Optional ingredients are not included: orange.
      • Ice: Frozen water; same composition as water.
      • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
      • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

      Good to know

      Tips

      • Use a less bitter, 'light' or premium tonic if you find the drink too harsh.

      Common mistakes

      • Warm tonic — it foams wildly and goes flat.

      Storage

      • Make to order; the tonic loses its fizz within minutes.

      Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

      Recipe DNA

      How this dish is built

      Customise in Sip & Blend

      Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

      What the dish is built around

      Main ingredient

      • Orange, washed, one thin round slice (optional)10 g
      Used in step 3

      Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

      Customise in Sip & Blend

      Reviews & corrections

      Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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