Espresso Tonic Recipes

Here are a few of the related recipes, for the base tonic syrup, the acidulant, and the tonic water.

After there are a few ideas on potential pairings of different botanicals for different origins/styles of espresso - let me know if you come up with something cool!

NOTE: Cinchona bark is a natural source of quinine. Excessive consumption of quinine can be dangerous and it can have contraindications for some medicines.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: People have kindly shared some concerns about making your own tonic. I would STRONGLY recommend reading these articles before proceeding:

Base Tonic Syrup

20g Cinchona Bark (ground to powder)

750g water (plus more to top up later) 750g sugar

2g orange zest

2g lemon zest

  1. Make sure the bark is ground to a powder.

  2. Mix with the water and bring to a boil, and then gently simmer for 5 minutes

  3. Switch off the heat and allow to cool, and mix in the citrus zest.

  4. Once cool strain through a fine sieve, then strain again through a coffee filter paper. Strain again through coffee filter paper, the thicker the better.

  5. Weigh the liquid, and add water to bring the total mass back up to 750g

  6. Add 750g of sugar and blend.

Acidulant (Lime Acid)

120g water

5.1g citric acid

2.6g malic acid

  1. Combine all ingredients and blend

  2. Store

Tonic Water (Small Batch)

50g Tonic Syrup

30g acidulant

3 drops saline

250g water (sparkling water if you are not carbonating the mixture)

If you are carbonating:

  1. Combine all ingredients in the vessel you’ll be carbonating in.

  2. Chill in the fridge.

  3. Carbonate.

If you are not carbonating:

  1. Use sparkling water instead of still

  2. Make sure all ingredients are fridge cold

  3. Mix all ingredients aside from water thoroughly

  4. Gently mix in sparkling water

  5. Use immediately

Espresso Tonic

35-40g espresso

120g tonic water

Ice

  1. fill the glass with plenty of ice

  2. Add your desired amount of tonic water

  3. add your espresso, or serve on the side and let the guest add it.

  4. Stir or swirl or don’t!

  5. Enjoy!

Ideas for custom tonics

You could add a lot of different, and complimentary botanicals quite easily to your espresso tonics. You could choose to infuse small quantities into your base tonic syrup after you had made a batch, or infuse alongside the zest in the process.

Pairing suggestion:

Ethiopian washed coffee: Bergamot zest, early grey tea, lemongrass, coriander seed, ginger

Kenyan washed coffee: Grapefruit zest, pink peppercorns, rosehip, angostura bark

Colombian washed coffee: angostura bark, juniper, lime zest

These are just suggestions and not hard rules - I’d love to hear any ideas you have! Tag me in on Instagram if you make anything too!