Espresso Tonic Surfer
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. Bittersweet coffee floats over quinine-bitter fizz, the syrup rounding both before a bright citrus snap from the twist finishes it dry.
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 ml and then Sugar 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 chill it fully over ice before building; pouring hot espresso directly onto tonic kills the carbonation and muddies the layered look.
- Fill the Collins glass with large cubes, pour tonic water first, then float the chilled espresso gently over a bar spoon so it settles on top rather than mixing.
- The sugar syrup goes into the glass with the tonic, before the ice and the espresso float - stirring it into the coffee first would carry it up into the top layer.
- Express the lemon twist oils over the surface just before serving to add aroma without stirring the espresso layer into the tonic.
History
The Espresso Tonic Surfer is a variation on the espresso tonic, a non-alcoholic mixed drink first recorded in 2007 in Oslo, where a barista working with the future founders of the Swedish company Koppi Roasters, Anne Lunell and Charles Nystrand, 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?
It is a highball that combines chilled espresso with tonic water, built over ice rather than shaken or stirred. This version adds a touch of sugar syrup to soften the bitterness of both the coffee and the quinine in the tonic, and finishes with an expressed lemon twist.
What flavors go well with espresso tonic?
Citrus is the natural partner, which is why this build finishes with an expressed lemon twist — the oils cut through the espresso's bitterness and echo the tonic's own citrus notes. A touch of sugar syrup, as used here, also balances the coffee against the tonic's quinine bite.
How do you make an espresso tonic?
Build it directly in the glass over ice: pour the tonic water in, add the sugar syrup, then top with chilled espresso so the coffee floats rather than fully blending. Garnish with a lemon twist and give it one gentle stir just before drinking.
Are you supposed to stir an espresso tonic?
Only lightly, and often not at all before the first sip. It is built, not shaken or stirred like a cocktail, so the espresso initially sits as a darker layer over the tonic; a gentle stir just before drinking 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.