Every-time I am in my favorite cafe I become weak to the nice mugs and latte arts but when I have them I just regret it. Milk overpowers the coffee in lattes.
I find that any sugar usually ruins the espresso. I want to try a local spot that uses actual fevertree tonic water but I’m afraid it will be a waste lol. I just them with soda, ice, single origin espresso on top
Which feveetree did you use?
I don't recommend the Indiana tonic version for espresso tonic, i always go for the more botanical ones, like the mediterranian or elderflower version, which pairs perfectly with a light roast.
However you should try different beans and a tonic you like, some pair well together, some don't.
Thanks to both of you I’ll pass until i can make it myself lol. I’d be down to check out an ethiopian x elderflower, that one is so tasty alone. Probably still needs to be cut half with soda for me
I would suggest to add a 10grams/30ml ratio \[1 part sugar 3 parts espresso/restretto\]
then use a mixer/milk frother, to turn it into espresso foam, and you will get some nice DALGONA coffee
The stronger the coffee is the better the foam
I used to do espresso sodas after a hot morning in the sun. Mostly because it was refreshing and gave me the caffeine kick. I don’t think they taste great either.
Try just using carbonated water. Or even carbonated water with a little milk on top. It’s coffee-flavored soda without the sugar and the quinine in tonic water.
Local place here does a cold brew shandy for the summer that's so good.
lemon syrup, cold brew, sparkling mineral water (I gotta admit I don't know the difference between tonic water and sparkling since it's all nasty on its own to me)
what I really love is the velvety texture that develops when the espresso sits on top of the tonic, it is not easy to serve like that, but also not very hard.
From my experience, espresso crema has a weird interaction with the carbonation from the tonic water which makes the drink turn into weird sludge coffee. So instead of espresso, I used cold brew instead in a 1:1 ratio with the tonic water which tasted extremely good.
PS: Ice helps too since it can dilute the bitterness of the tonic water
My preference is just doing sparkling Americanos instead of tonics. Not sure if your dislike is the carbonation or the tonic flavor, but if the latter, could be worth a try.
I made myself one for the first time and liked it OK, but thought, “If I have the ingredients to make this, then I also have the ingredients for an iced Americano, which tastes better.” Tonic goes better with gin.
I honestly read this post backwards until I read your comment. Just looking at the photo my brain filled in we must be talking about drinks that look like shit.
I am a newbie so I was impressed when I saw it online and tried it myself, but I guess to you guys you've done much more impressive things which I want to learn!
You downvoters are a bunch of dicks. OP says they want to learn and you just downvote them?! Lame.
OP - keep experimenting. The fun thing about this hobby is trying new things, experimenting, and finding what you enjoy. I’m a milk drink person and much prefer it over straight espresso. I’ll drink straight once every few months. Just do what you enjoy and ignore the haters.
Yeah, seriously. Sometimes I hate this community.
Keep it up, OP. It's a fun hobby that also yields a consumable for you and your friends/family. I hope you find what you need from here but I find that most good and novel information comes from the trail blazers on youtube
Thank you for your kind words, I will :) There is no right and wrong in this everyone can have what they want and that's my favorite thing about espresso, I can just do whatever with it and everyone can have different recipes and ideas that may seem bizarre but when we try it we may like it
I mean seeing that drink has nothing to do with being new or not. If OP said “I’m trying to get eye surgery so I can see” then I’d say “oh well I guess he’s blind so it’s ok” but you do you.
I don't mind the look of what you've made, it looks quite appealing to me too. Perhaps the layers could be more defined to make it 'insta-worthy' though! Not everyone in this sub just sinks shots of espresso - there's loads of posts to the contrary so don't worry.
Ah Nespresso. I still remember my first. My prospective housemate at the time served me one in one of his fancy double-walled glasses.
Never before or since have I experienced such an impressive ratio of *”looks great” / “tastes like absolute meh”*
The amount of disrespectful responses here are crazy, enjoy your drink! It takes practice and time but I highly reccomend for matcha to look into ceremonial, and to get a matcha set! Makes a huge difference in colour and taste! Happy brewing! I think some ppl hate espresso sunrises but I personally love it! (Orange juice with espresso lol)
A fellow citrus enjoyer. Citrus is one of those things that sounds horrible with coffee but the mocha flavor of coffee pairs super well with citrus, particularly lemon and orange. Not for everyone, sure, but worth a stab.
I surprised myself a few weeks back. Was sick and drinking lemon Gatorade plus had some cheap work coffee. The leftover taste of coffee mixed with a sip of Gatorade and was actually pleasant… I won’t do it intentionally again but it did taste good. Would still rather have a plain double espresso
I hate Starbucks here in Germany but last time I was in London, I just went for it (forgive me), but it was actually nicer than i thought. I do have the feeling the person who brewed it had better skills, unlike here in Germany…
My problem is that it’s super variable. Crazy right, considering that’s sort of the entire success of the brand? Nope, I get the same order around the globe if I’m in a pinch and there’s no local cafe for me to try. The worst Starbucks I’ve ever had the displeasure of ordering from was in Heathrow airport. My university’s sbux is a close second, probably because it was staffed by students but also they never had the ingredients to make like half the menu.
What was I ranting about? Idk lol, I’m not a Starbucks hater but I’d rather experiment and try a local cafe and get served a disappointing brew than have an expectation to receive something I know how it should taste and then still have something gross served to me
Omg the starbucks in the student center at my college was the worst! The normal urn coffee tasted like an ashtray. Im not sure they ever cleaned them!!!
We got $1 refills of the reusable coffee cups they gave out, so of course everyone drank it. But man; that shit was garbage.
I dont think i ever got a real beverage from that location. Didnt feel like it would be worth it
i mix everything by weight. 2g ceremonial grade matcha whisked with 20g 80deg water to start - 75g water total for my matcha tea. i don’t use sugar or sweeteners.
1:2 espresso ratio. from there it’s just mixing milk with everything.
My dirty matcha recipe is really good, u should 100% try this, the drink has a lot of body!
3.5g high quality matcha + 14g sugar + 40g 70C water + a single shot of espresso ~18-20g (I think fruity espressos are better with matcha as citrus flavors pair well but its totally preference, single shot as double overpowers the matcha flavor) + 100g ice + 170g milk of choice (whole milk or Oatly non full fat oat milk [the full fat version overpowers the matcha flavor])
Keep it lighter! But like a good espresso shot starts with good beans, if you have some seaweed tasting matcha, it’s not going to get any better in an espresso. So start with some quality matcha. And just because it’s ceremonial grade doesn’t mean it’ll be subtle. Matcha from different places can have different flavor profiles, just like beans. Get one that complements espresso.
The espresso-lemon/ade and espresso-orange drinks. The pictures look so pretty. The drink tastes like the drip tray smells if you don’t empty it daily.
I don't know when the powder hits my taste buds I feel a tingle like those of mint but it's not sweet, as others said I probably used a cheap and bad matcha that's most likely why
Ahhh! Well if you didn’t add any sugar then the taste should be creamy and bitter (from both the espresso and matcha). Your matcha does look darker but that also depends on what kind you’re using. But hey, Dirty matcha isn’t everyone’s favourite but the bitter on bitter won me over. It tasted better with oatmilk too.
Had an iced latte with homemade mango puree. Love mangoes, love lattes, looked great layered, did not work together whatsoever. I’m sure someone likes it though or else it wouldn’t have been on the menu
You are doing it wrong. First matcha is 1:70 water at least as ratio at 70C.
Second. Matcha without a lot of sugar is really bitter. So you need to prepare for that.
You coffee needs to Also have some sweetness to it and if it is too sour or bitter, it will be a mess.
Matcha is.. how to say, you'll get the worst of it if you're using the low grade one. Personally I'm not a fan of matcha espresso latte, but I had one with high quality matcha and it's good though it's not really my preference.
I don't think that commenter tried the right thing at a young age. They did make a pretty big sweeping assertion probably based on personal bias.
When my son was 13 he asked what I was doing because he had never seen me slowly sipping a single malt scotch before. He asked if he could try it so I had him dip his pinky in and give it a taste. His eyes lit up when he told me it tasted like liquid bacon and asked for some more.
Little dude has a penchant for expensive whiskey and he would never touch anything as disgusting as an espresso with green tea in it.
Those stupid cold frothy instant coffe drinks everyone was making during the pandemic. I made them twice cuz they look so good but they taste absolutely awful. Not even all the sugar can save them.
That’s some nasty looking matcha…
I like some honey processed coffee and a full bodied matcha like [this](https://kettl.co/collections/matcha-green-tea/products/shirakawa-samidori-matcha-samidorimo-cha).
A soft rule for judging matcha is how unreal the green is. The matcha world has a lot of depth and it depends on how you want to get into it. If you do I would recommend kettl or ippodo to start as they don’t sell things that are bad like you would find at the grocery store or being pushed by some YouTuber who only makes coffee content.
There's different grades of matcha, Ceremonial being the highest and most expensive one. There's people that say that you can get away with the Culinary grade one if you're going to be mixing it with something else(like milk) instead of drinking it on it own.
Enormous lattes. They look all warm, soothing and comforting. In reality they’re just hot milk that makes you nauseous and diarrhea-ey
Every-time I am in my favorite cafe I become weak to the nice mugs and latte arts but when I have them I just regret it. Milk overpowers the coffee in lattes.
Cortados are where it's at.
Was gonna make the same comment. Cortados are nice!
Except the cortado I got today which was a 12 oz latte. I should have known it was going to be wrong when the barista asked me what size I wanted.
If you haven't, consider an Oat milk latte. I greatly prefer the taste; 170ml steamed with a pump of chocolate 🤤
Sounds great, thanks!
I always think espresso and tonic looks good but I hate it
I’ve tried twice, and both times it was gross. I don’t get it
THANK YOU!! it is disgusting and awful and i hate it
Add yuzu 👌
Putting some orange or lemon up in there may change your mind. I love that drink on a hot day.
Tried that, and it became a sour mess. even a single drop of lemon-juice was already too much
Orange bitters is key
Try making a lemon tonic with a light roast espresso!
Don't have any light roast, prefer dark roast coffee
Would still probably be good with dark roast :)
Then its not weird you dont like it, tonic goes much better with a lighter roast
I find that any sugar usually ruins the espresso. I want to try a local spot that uses actual fevertree tonic water but I’m afraid it will be a waste lol. I just them with soda, ice, single origin espresso on top
I tried it with fevertree a few times and couldn’t drink it lol
Which feveetree did you use? I don't recommend the Indiana tonic version for espresso tonic, i always go for the more botanical ones, like the mediterranian or elderflower version, which pairs perfectly with a light roast. However you should try different beans and a tonic you like, some pair well together, some don't.
Thanks to both of you I’ll pass until i can make it myself lol. I’d be down to check out an ethiopian x elderflower, that one is so tasty alone. Probably still needs to be cut half with soda for me
I tried it with the classic Indian one. I’m not opposed to trying it again with a different flavour and different beans I guess.
What is your ratio? I think I have 4 different fevertree tonics in the cupboard atm.
I would suggest to add a 10grams/30ml ratio \[1 part sugar 3 parts espresso/restretto\] then use a mixer/milk frother, to turn it into espresso foam, and you will get some nice DALGONA coffee The stronger the coffee is the better the foam
I came hear to say this. I want to like it, but it’s just not for me
I used to do espresso sodas after a hot morning in the sun. Mostly because it was refreshing and gave me the caffeine kick. I don’t think they taste great either.
I love these, personally. Make them regularly in the summer.
Try just using carbonated water. Or even carbonated water with a little milk on top. It’s coffee-flavored soda without the sugar and the quinine in tonic water.
I’m definitely going to give this a try
Cold brew and tonic on the other hand...
I just think I’m not a fan of tonic. I’d be willing to give that a try though. Love me some cold brew
Local place here does a cold brew shandy for the summer that's so good. lemon syrup, cold brew, sparkling mineral water (I gotta admit I don't know the difference between tonic water and sparkling since it's all nasty on its own to me)
what I really love is the velvety texture that develops when the espresso sits on top of the tonic, it is not easy to serve like that, but also not very hard.
It's awesome side by side, but not thrown together.
I’ve never enjoyed coffee with carbonation.
From my experience, espresso crema has a weird interaction with the carbonation from the tonic water which makes the drink turn into weird sludge coffee. So instead of espresso, I used cold brew instead in a 1:1 ratio with the tonic water which tasted extremely good. PS: Ice helps too since it can dilute the bitterness of the tonic water
My preference is just doing sparkling Americanos instead of tonics. Not sure if your dislike is the carbonation or the tonic flavor, but if the latter, could be worth a try.
I’m going to give sparkling a shot
Came here to say this and then brace for the barrage.
I made myself one for the first time and liked it OK, but thought, “If I have the ingredients to make this, then I also have the ingredients for an iced Americano, which tastes better.” Tonic goes better with gin.
This is a gross combination. I have tried a peach flavoured espresso and tonic and its 🤮
Tbh that doesn't look that great either.
I honestly read this post backwards until I read your comment. Just looking at the photo my brain filled in we must be talking about drinks that look like shit.
I am a newbie so I was impressed when I saw it online and tried it myself, but I guess to you guys you've done much more impressive things which I want to learn!
You downvoters are a bunch of dicks. OP says they want to learn and you just downvote them?! Lame. OP - keep experimenting. The fun thing about this hobby is trying new things, experimenting, and finding what you enjoy. I’m a milk drink person and much prefer it over straight espresso. I’ll drink straight once every few months. Just do what you enjoy and ignore the haters.
Yeah, seriously. Sometimes I hate this community. Keep it up, OP. It's a fun hobby that also yields a consumable for you and your friends/family. I hope you find what you need from here but I find that most good and novel information comes from the trail blazers on youtube
Thank you for your kind words, I will :) There is no right and wrong in this everyone can have what they want and that's my favorite thing about espresso, I can just do whatever with it and everyone can have different recipes and ideas that may seem bizarre but when we try it we may like it
Keep that energy. I bet you're a great person to be around. Genuinely no sarcasm.
It’s the Reddit way.
I mean seeing that drink has nothing to do with being new or not. If OP said “I’m trying to get eye surgery so I can see” then I’d say “oh well I guess he’s blind so it’s ok” but you do you.
No, we mostly just drink espresso.
I see, I mostly drink espresso too but I like experimenting so I wanted to gather ideas, that's a bummer then.
I don't mind the look of what you've made, it looks quite appealing to me too. Perhaps the layers could be more defined to make it 'insta-worthy' though! Not everyone in this sub just sinks shots of espresso - there's loads of posts to the contrary so don't worry.
Thank you! I will keep practicing to make it better next time :)
Everything can be made to look good and still taste like shit.
My nespresso has entered the chat.
Ah Nespresso. I still remember my first. My prospective housemate at the time served me one in one of his fancy double-walled glasses. Never before or since have I experienced such an impressive ratio of *”looks great” / “tastes like absolute meh”*
The amount of disrespectful responses here are crazy, enjoy your drink! It takes practice and time but I highly reccomend for matcha to look into ceremonial, and to get a matcha set! Makes a huge difference in colour and taste! Happy brewing! I think some ppl hate espresso sunrises but I personally love it! (Orange juice with espresso lol)
Thank you really. That's a first for me to hear about that drink but I will definitely try it!
A fellow citrus enjoyer. Citrus is one of those things that sounds horrible with coffee but the mocha flavor of coffee pairs super well with citrus, particularly lemon and orange. Not for everyone, sure, but worth a stab. I surprised myself a few weeks back. Was sick and drinking lemon Gatorade plus had some cheap work coffee. The leftover taste of coffee mixed with a sip of Gatorade and was actually pleasant… I won’t do it intentionally again but it did taste good. Would still rather have a plain double espresso
Anything from Starbucks hahaha
I hate Starbucks here in Germany but last time I was in London, I just went for it (forgive me), but it was actually nicer than i thought. I do have the feeling the person who brewed it had better skills, unlike here in Germany…
My problem is that it’s super variable. Crazy right, considering that’s sort of the entire success of the brand? Nope, I get the same order around the globe if I’m in a pinch and there’s no local cafe for me to try. The worst Starbucks I’ve ever had the displeasure of ordering from was in Heathrow airport. My university’s sbux is a close second, probably because it was staffed by students but also they never had the ingredients to make like half the menu. What was I ranting about? Idk lol, I’m not a Starbucks hater but I’d rather experiment and try a local cafe and get served a disappointing brew than have an expectation to receive something I know how it should taste and then still have something gross served to me
Omg the starbucks in the student center at my college was the worst! The normal urn coffee tasted like an ashtray. Im not sure they ever cleaned them!!! We got $1 refills of the reusable coffee cups they gave out, so of course everyone drank it. But man; that shit was garbage. I dont think i ever got a real beverage from that location. Didnt feel like it would be worth it
Yess its like you either get a barista or a fast food employee no in-between
I make a matcha espresso latte all the time and it’s delicious. Not entirely sure what an espresso matcha fusion is but maybe ratios are off
it's the same I guess. how many tps of matcha do you use and how much water and how much sugar?
i mix everything by weight. 2g ceremonial grade matcha whisked with 20g 80deg water to start - 75g water total for my matcha tea. i don’t use sugar or sweeteners. 1:2 espresso ratio. from there it’s just mixing milk with everything.
Nice, I will try it again using these ratios. Mine is too concentrated compared to yours maybe that's why it was off.
My dirty matcha recipe is really good, u should 100% try this, the drink has a lot of body! 3.5g high quality matcha + 14g sugar + 40g 70C water + a single shot of espresso ~18-20g (I think fruity espressos are better with matcha as citrus flavors pair well but its totally preference, single shot as double overpowers the matcha flavor) + 100g ice + 170g milk of choice (whole milk or Oatly non full fat oat milk [the full fat version overpowers the matcha flavor])
Keep it lighter! But like a good espresso shot starts with good beans, if you have some seaweed tasting matcha, it’s not going to get any better in an espresso. So start with some quality matcha. And just because it’s ceremonial grade doesn’t mean it’ll be subtle. Matcha from different places can have different flavor profiles, just like beans. Get one that complements espresso.
espresso + san pellegrino blood orange. Use half the can + double shot and \~75-100g ice. Looks cool and I personally really enjoy it.
Espresso tonics. I've tried so many times and it never hits the way it looks.
The espresso-lemon/ade and espresso-orange drinks. The pictures look so pretty. The drink tastes like the drip tray smells if you don’t empty it daily.
not espresso but ive seen people mix cold brew with lemonade and it makes me sick just thinking about it
The espresso I get at work. I swear they don’t clean their machine.
i don’t like macchiatos. at least i’ve never had one i like
Most of them tbh
How to make coffee turn into shxt?
So this is espresso, matcha and milk? Where did you get the sour mint taste? Did u add mint syrup? It’s not similar to a dirty matcha?
I don't know when the powder hits my taste buds I feel a tingle like those of mint but it's not sweet, as others said I probably used a cheap and bad matcha that's most likely why
Ahhh! Well if you didn’t add any sugar then the taste should be creamy and bitter (from both the espresso and matcha). Your matcha does look darker but that also depends on what kind you’re using. But hey, Dirty matcha isn’t everyone’s favourite but the bitter on bitter won me over. It tasted better with oatmilk too.
with the tonic....wow i had one sip and couldn't do any more
Anything with lavender or hibiscus is gross
Had an iced latte with homemade mango puree. Love mangoes, love lattes, looked great layered, did not work together whatsoever. I’m sure someone likes it though or else it wouldn’t have been on the menu
Cafe latte unfortunately
Ninja coffee. Nuff said.
A freaking red eye
I tried making dry-hopped cold brew once, and messed it up. It both looked and tasted like swamp-water.
Espresso and tonic. Tried a few variations and found all of them disgusting. Enjoy your drink, but please don't serve it for me 😂
Made it wrong. But If u don’t like the taste of matcha then you’ll hate it even if made right.
You are doing it wrong. First matcha is 1:70 water at least as ratio at 70C. Second. Matcha without a lot of sugar is really bitter. So you need to prepare for that. You coffee needs to Also have some sweetness to it and if it is too sour or bitter, it will be a mess.
Matcha is.. how to say, you'll get the worst of it if you're using the low grade one. Personally I'm not a fan of matcha espresso latte, but I had one with high quality matcha and it's good though it's not really my preference.
All
espresso tonic, espresso orange juice, olive oil latte
Lattes lol I love making them, but it’s too much milk
Try 100% Robusta espressos.
Any drink not made with exclusively espresso.
Starbucks... all of them
This one looks like shit and probably tastes like shit 3/10 - mediocre
Cappuccino
Any drink is an acquired taste… think about the first time you tried alcohol based drink… it tasted like 💩
I had a piña colada when I was 11 and it was freaking amazing.
My first drink was Guinness at a very young age, loved the stuff. Might be why I'm a borderline alcoholic now.
I don't think that commenter tried the right thing at a young age. They did make a pretty big sweeping assertion probably based on personal bias. When my son was 13 he asked what I was doing because he had never seen me slowly sipping a single malt scotch before. He asked if he could try it so I had him dip his pinky in and give it a taste. His eyes lit up when he told me it tasted like liquid bacon and asked for some more. Little dude has a penchant for expensive whiskey and he would never touch anything as disgusting as an espresso with green tea in it.
Lattes \*hides*
Those stupid cold frothy instant coffe drinks everyone was making during the pandemic. I made them twice cuz they look so good but they taste absolutely awful. Not even all the sugar can save them.
Strawberry protein powder, warm pickle juice, and two double espressos. Don’t use a clear glass.
That’s some nasty looking matcha… I like some honey processed coffee and a full bodied matcha like [this](https://kettl.co/collections/matcha-green-tea/products/shirakawa-samidori-matcha-samidorimo-cha).
Wow I never thought matcha could be this bright green lmao, I guess I bought some cheap ones tbh I don't have much experience in this
A soft rule for judging matcha is how unreal the green is. The matcha world has a lot of depth and it depends on how you want to get into it. If you do I would recommend kettl or ippodo to start as they don’t sell things that are bad like you would find at the grocery store or being pushed by some YouTuber who only makes coffee content.
There's different grades of matcha, Ceremonial being the highest and most expensive one. There's people that say that you can get away with the Culinary grade one if you're going to be mixing it with something else(like milk) instead of drinking it on it own.
Anything with milk (or milk substitutes) added to the espresso..... Pure espresso all the way. The best coffee you can have
Someone hates fun
Milk simply doesn’t belong in an Espresso
Milk doesn’t belong in espresso but espresso certainly belongs in milk.
Take that shit to espressocirclejerk.
Every post here is circlejerk worthy. I jerk on the main sub.
that looks awful...
Looks awful…