I Tried The New Espresso Lemonade Trend & It’s Definitely The Drink Of The Summer

When I first heard about the espresso lemonade trend, I had questions. First, who came up with this? Second, how did they come up with this?

Maybe you’ve seen it too! Baristas, tourists in Rome, and people at home are all mixing lemon elixir and freshly brewed espresso. And, spoiler alert: After a few sips, they seem to be pleasantly surprised. There’s something about the icy sweet, bitter, acidic flavor combo that seems to be hitting all the right notes for summer.

Naturally, as an at-home coffee connoisseur who whips up my own iced lattes, flat whites, and Americanos, I had to give this trend a try for myself. Plus, discovering this trend gave me the perfect excuse to test drive the new NESCAFÉ® Espresso Concentrate that easily dissolves in water, milk, or in this case, lemonade. Two birds, one epic morning sipper.

After a little experimentation to find my perfect blend of lemonade and espresso, I totally get the hype. Turns out, the rich, strong flavor of the espresso with the burst of sweet citrus you get from the lemonade results in a bev that’s equal parts refreshing and delightfully unhinged.

Below, learn how to make the viral lemonade espresso drink (according to this mixologist), plus a few of my other favorite at-home espresso drinks that’ll let you have some extra fun with the different NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrate offerings.

How To Make An Espresso Lemonade

The beauty of this drink is that it’s way simpler to make than other social media trends. You can order it in a coffee shop if you want, but IMO it’s way more fun, customizable, and affordable to whip this up at home. Just take the internet’s word for it.

The first step in making espresso lemonade at home is selecting a lemonade you love. You could DIY it with some freshly squeezed lemons, a little sugar or honey, and some H2O. Of course, store-bought is just fine. The latter is what I went with. I’m a busy gal!

Next, fill your glass to the brim with ice, pour in about 12 ounces of lemonade, then top with two tablespoons of NESCAFÉ® Espresso Concentrate Black (or the Sweet Vanilla flavor if you want a slightly sweeter version). Trust me, a little of this liquid gold goes a long way. You’ll be surprised how much delicious espresso flavor is packed into such a small portion. Delish.

SHOP NESCAFÉ ESPRESSO CONCENTRATE

You could stop here, but I didn’t. Instead, I drizzled in about two teaspoons of homemade simple syrup and stirred. After taking my first sip, I too was shocked how good the espresso lemonade actually is. It’s sort of like that chocolate-flavored candy tossed out at your hometown’s summer parade. It’s sweet, tangy, and balanced.

That said, I’ve also seen lots of people topping off their lemonade espresso with tonic or club soda for some carbonation and added bitterness. I obliged. After a few swigs of my original recipe, I topped my drink off with a couple of ounces of tonic water.

For me, that added bubbly bitterness called for a little extra simple syrup. By the time I was done experimenting, I had not just one new favorite drink (the OG espresso lemonade) but two (bubbly espresso lemonade). So! Good!

More At-Home Espresso Drinks To Make This Summer

While the espresso lemonade is a fun deviation from my usual morning routine, I can’t resist the classics.

Those NESCAFÉ® Espresso Concentrate products are seriously the best for shaking up refreshing iced coffee bevvies without much work. Here are a couple of easy recipes for icy espresso drinks on busy mornings.

Iced Oat Latte (Sweet Vanilla Version)

For a smooth, delicious espresso drink, combine the ingredients below with ice, stir, and start sipping. Top with whipped cream if you’re feeling fancy.

• 2 tablespoons NESCAFÉ® Espresso Concentrate Sweet Vanilla
• 12 ounces cold oat milk

Iced Americano

For those who like their espresso sans milk, combine the ingredients below and enjoy the subtle sweetness of NESCAFÉ® Espresso Concentrate Sweet Vanilla.

• 2 tablespoons NESCAFÉ® Espresso Concentrate Sweet Vanilla
• 12 ounces of cold, filtered water with ice

Sounds pretty good, right? Now all that’s left for you to do is grab your cutest coffee cup, pour in some NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrate with your favorite espresso additions, then let the magic begin.