In my last blog post, I talked about the possible rise of a “fourth wave” of speciality coffee. In that post, I predicted that coffee would appear even more in food and drinks, and better coffee would become a part of our daily lives. For this weeks post, I decided to try something that I think perfectly sums up my “fourth wave” ideas.

This summer, Caffe Nero have started to advertise espresso and tonic water, claiming that it is a perfect summer drink. But Caffe Nero can not be credited with the invention of the “E&T”. It is believed that this bizarre concoction was invented in Germany, in 2017. When I first saw espresso and tonic water being advertised, I knew it would be perfect for this blog, especially after last weeks post. So, I walked to my local speciality coffee shop, to try it out.

An E&T is made by half filling a glass with tonic water, and tipping an espresso over it (I chose a double espresso). This creates a rather nice looking layered effect, and the addition of a slice of orange on top makes espresso and tonic water a very aesthetically pleasing drink. This, I am sad to announce, is probably the nicest thing I will say in this review. When I took my first sip, I was shocked. It tasted like an over-sweet (and yet somehow still very bitter) punch in the face! My taste buds were overcrowded by the powerful fizz of the tonic water, and the slightly sour flavour of orange. Only after I had finished a few sips could I make out the smoky flavour of espresso, which just seemed lost in the sharp bubbles and botanicals of the tonic.

After I had finished my drink, I sat, staring in amazement at my empty glass. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. At times, I had almost enjoyed it, especially the way the sweet orange slice complimented the smoky espresso. Mostly, however, it had been baffling. It tasted as if someone had attempted to take every subtle note a good espresso has to offer, and then amplify all of them, creating a really overpowering drink.

In conclusion, some things just don’t work. Some trends are wonderful, but some are just pointless. I am afraid, in my opinion, espresso and tonic water is the latter.