Espresso tonic with floating coffee

Spring is finally here! 🌸 We can once again enjoy coffee in the sunshine, and that calls for a refreshing recipe. Debbie is the mastermind behind our coffee recipes and has developed this recipe for the Floating Espresso Tonic. After extensive testing, she found the ultimate balance between freshness, creaminess, and intensity. This coffee recipe brings it all together—refreshing, full of flavor, and visually stunning!

Ingredients:

Ristretto – made with your favorite coffee beans
Tonic – choose a classic Indian tonic or a citrusy tonic for a spring-inspired twist
Ice cubes – for that extra freshness
Heavy cream 50ml – unsweetened to whip up
Milk frother – electric or manual, as long as it froths cold milk
Optional: Vanilla syrup for a subtle sweet touch

How to make a Floating Espresso Tonic?

Brew a ristretto and let it cool slightly.
- Never made a ristretto before?
  Don’t worry — it’s super easy! Just use a 1:1 ratio, meaning the same amount of coffee and water.
  
  Using 18.5g of coffee? Then stop the shot when you’ve got 18.5g in your cup — usually around 25–30 seconds. You’ll end up with a concentrated, syrupy shot that adds a ton of flavour to your cold foam.
Fill a glass with ice cubes and pour in tonic until about three-quarters full.
To make the cold foam, mix the cooled ristretto with the cream and froth until thick and creamy. It should be richer than microfoam but not as airy as whipped cream.
Using a spoon, carefully pour the foam over the back of the spoon onto the tonic.
Serve immediately and enjoy how the creamy coffee perfectly blends with the refreshing tonic.

Debbie has experimented extensively with different milk types, foam consistencies, and coffee ratios to find the best balance of flavors. The combination of a bold ristretto with sparkling tonic and smooth cold foam creates a layered and surprising coffee experience.

Take your time, enjoy the process and the challenge—getting the right foam consistency is the trickiest part of this recipe. But when you get it right, you’ll have a delicious spring coffee that looks just as spectacular as it tastes! ☀️☕

Share your results with us on Instagram! 📸