Cold Brew Cherry Tonic mocktail recipe
Cold brew, tart cherry and tonic in a dry, lightly sparkling coffee highball.
Method: Build · Glass: Highball glass · Time: 4 minutes · Difficulty: Beginner
Ingredients
- 2 oz cold brew coffee
- ¾ oz tart cherry juice
- ¼ oz simple syrup
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- 3 oz well-chilled tonic water
- to fill large ice cubes
How to make it
- Fill a highball with large ice.
- Add the cold brew, tart cherry juice, simple syrup and lemon juice.
- Pour chilled tonic water slowly down the side of the glass.
- Lift once, add the cherry and lemon peel, then serve.
Garnish
One dark cherry and a short lemon peel
Why this balance works
Coffee, cherry and tonic all bring bitterness or tannin, so the small syrup measure is useful rather than decorative. Taste the cold brew first: a very dark roast may need a little less tonic. The finished drink should feel brisk and fruity, not like sweet iced coffee.
Technique to keep
Tonic is less forgiving than soda because its bitterness becomes stronger as the drink warms. Keep every component cold, use large ice and add tonic last. The slow pour gives a clean top layer and protects the bubbles.
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