Cold Brew Tonic Mocktail Recipe
Cold brew coffee poured over tonic — bitter meeting bitter, and far better than it sounds.
- Category: Mocktail
- Glass: Highball glass
- ABV: 0%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~4 min
- Alcohol-free: ✓
Ingredients
- Tonic water120 ml (4.1 oz)
- Cold brew coffee60 ml (2 oz)
- Simple syrup10 ml (0.3 oz)
How to Make It
- Fill a highball glass with ice and add the tonic water.
- Stir in the syrup.
- Pour the cold brew slowly over the back of a spoon so it layers on top.
- Express orange zest over the glass.
Garnish
Orange zest
What it tastes like
It has a bitter backbone, there is roasted coffee in it, it is carbonated and it drinks cool and easy.
The technique
Layering. The liqueurs sit on each other by sugar density — the sweetest one goes in first, at the bottom. Each layer is poured slowly over the BACK of a bar spoon so it spreads instead of punching through. Rush it and the layers fold together, and there is no fixing that.
Glass and ice
A tall, narrow highball. The narrowness does real work — less surface area means the carbonation lasts longer and the ice melts more slowly.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Tonic water
- Carbonated water made bitter by quinine — that is what separates it from soda. Sugar content varies up to twofold between brands, and that directly sets how sweet the drink lands.
- Simple syrup
- One part sugar to one part water, stirred until it dissolves — no need to boil it. Keeps a month in the fridge. No syrup? Use the same amount of honey, loosened with a little water.
The Story
A Scandinavian speciality-coffee invention of the 2010s that spread through third-wave cafés faster than any drink before it.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Cold Brew Tonic mixed?
- It is layered and served in a highball glass.
- Does a Cold Brew Tonic contain alcohol?
- No. It is safe to serve to children, to anyone pregnant, and to whoever is driving.
- Is a Cold Brew Tonic hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
The main ingredient here is also a dream symbol: Coffee in a dream
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.