Espresso Tonic Surfer
A coffee, refreshing and bubbly cocktail ∙ Build ∙ 2 min ∙
The Espresso Tonic Surfer is a non-alcoholic highball of chilled espresso and tonic water, built over ice with a touch of sugar syrup.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pull a shot of espresso and leave to cool for 5 minutes
- Pour into the chilled glass: Tonic water 120 mlSugar syrup 5 ml
- Fill the glass with ice
- Float Espresso coffee 30 ml
- Express a lemon twist over each cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Pull the espresso first and let it cool for about five minutes before floating it; hot espresso poured onto tonic kills the carbonation and muddies the layer.
History
The Espresso Tonic Surfer is a variation on the espresso tonic, a non-alcoholic mixed drink first recorded in 2007 in Oslo. There, a barista working with Anne Lunell and Charles Nystrand, future founders of the Swedish company Koppi Roasters, combined leftover tonic water with espresso and a little syrup. Later that year the pair put the drink on the menu at their own cafe in Helsingborg, Sweden, as "Kaffe & Tonic," and it subsequently spread through Scandinavia and, via international barista competitions, into North American and Japanese coffee culture over the following decade.
The Espresso Tonic Surfer name is tied to a 2024 recipe from the beverage brand Three Cents, adapted as a branded take on the same espresso-and-tonic formula.
FAQ
What is an espresso tonic drink?
Chilled espresso floated on tonic water over ice. This version adds a touch of sugar syrup to soften the bitterness of both the coffee and the quinine, and finishes with an expressed lemon twist.
What flavors go well with espresso tonic?
Citrus. The expressed lemon twist cuts the espresso's bitterness and echoes the tonic's own citrus notes.
How do you make an espresso tonic?
Pour 120 ml tonic water and 5 ml sugar syrup into a chilled Collins glass, fill it with ice and float 30 ml cooled espresso on top. Let the espresso cool for about five minutes first; hot espresso kills the fizz and muddies the layer. Express a lemon twist over the drink.
Are you supposed to stir an espresso tonic?
Only if you want to. It is built, not shaken or stirred like a cocktail, so the espresso sits as a darker layer over the tonic. Many people take the first sip unstirred; after that, one gentle stir blends the two without killing the tonic's fizz.
What glass is an espresso tonic served in?
A Collins glass, built over ice and garnished with a lemon twist.
Is espresso tonic alcoholic?
No, this version is entirely non-alcoholic at 0% ABV, made only from tonic water, chilled espresso, and a touch of sugar syrup. At around 65 calories per serving, it is also vegan, vegetarian, lactose-free, and gluten-free.