# How to make a perfect espresso tonic at home

> Bold espresso over fizzy tonic water, on ice. A Swedish café experiment that's become a genuine specialty coffee staple.

By Joey Krosch. Published 2024-11-05, updated 2026-08-17.

Espresso tonic started as an experiment at Koppi Roasters in Sweden back
in 2007, and it's since become a genuine specialty coffee staple rather
than a passing novelty. The idea is simple: bold, fresh espresso poured
over quality tonic water and ice. The result is refreshing, low in
calories, and shows off a coffee's brighter side in a way a milk-based
drink never will.

## Choosing your beans

Light to medium roasts work best, ideally with fruity, floral or citrus
character, exactly the notes tonic water's bitterness and carbonation are
built to complement. Ethiopian coffees are close to the gold standard
here, both washed and natural processed varieties tend to work brilliantly
against tonic.

## Pulling the espresso

Standard specialty espresso parameters apply: 18 to 20 grams of ground
coffee, extracted to 36 to 40 grams of liquid over 25 to 30 seconds at
around 93°C and 9 bars of pressure, a 1:2 ratio. Nothing unusual here, the
espresso just needs to be genuinely good, since it's doing most of the
flavour work in this drink.

## Building the drink

Combine a fresh double espresso, 40 to 50ml, with quality tonic water at
roughly a 1:3 to 1:4 espresso-to-tonic ratio, poured over ice. Pour the
espresso in last, over the tonic and ice, so you get that layered look as
it settles.

> **Tonic water quality actually matters:**
> A cheap, overly sweet tonic will fight your espresso rather than
> complement it. Look for a genuinely dry Indian tonic water, several good
> options exist, rather than defaulting to whatever's cheapest.

## A few worthwhile additions

**Citrus**: a twist of orange or lemon peel lifts the drink further,
particularly with a fruit-forward Ethiopian shot.

**A touch of syrup**: a small amount of a simple, clean syrup, not
overpowering, can round out a shot that's leaning too bright or acidic on
its own.

**Saline solution**: a small pinch, roughly a 1:5 salt-to-water ratio
added a drop at a time, is a trick some baristas use to tame excess
acidity without adding sweetness.

## The takeaway

Espresso tonic is one of the simpler specialty drinks to make well, mostly
because it doesn't hide a mediocre shot the way milk can. Start with good
beans, pull a genuinely good espresso, and don't skimp on the tonic
water, the drink is only as good as its two ingredients.