Coffee + Sparkling Water: Making Methods and Flavors of Bubble Americano Special Drinks

Coffee paired with various beverages is nothing new, but this time the combination of coffee and sparkling water, whether soda water or tonic water, has taken Instagram by storm. Users around the globe are posting photos that look incredibly refreshing and perfect for summer. Let FrontStreet Coffee show you how to make this sparkling Americano specialty at home.

What Is Sparkling Americano?

We all know Americano coffee, and it is simple to make: espresso mixed with water. So is a sparkling Americano just an Americano with sparkling water instead of still water? For the coffee portion, you can use either espresso or pour-over black coffee. You can follow FrontStreet Coffee's parameters: 2 shots of espresso (40g), 120ml sparkling water, 100g ice. First prepare a glass with the ice, pour in 120ml of sparkling water, and finally drizzle the extracted espresso slowly over the surface. The sparkling Americano is ready. Stir well with a straw before drinking.

The Key to Perfect Sparkling Americano

Although the steps are simple, sparkling Americano adds a carbonated sensation that amplifies the coffee's flavor. If the coffee has undesirable bitter, burnt or astringent notes, it can turn into dishwater. Choosing the right coffee beans is therefore crucial. FrontStreet Coffee recommends flavor-forward beans with prominent aromas, or those with fruity profiles. That way the extracted espresso, combined with the texture of the sparkling water, comes across as more refreshing.

FrontStreet Coffee's House Blend

The espresso beans used at FrontStreet Coffee are their own house-roasted Sunflower Warm Sun Blend, composed of 30% sun-dried Yirgacheffe Red Cherry and 70% Honduras Sherry blend. When the espresso is freshly extracted, FrontStreet Coffee first appreciates the aroma. This coffee carries rich notes of whiskey, vanilla, nuts and cream. Made into a sparkling Americano, it shows fruity sweet-and-sour notes with a hint of alcoholic aroma, creating a refreshing, sweet taste.

Using Single-Origin Beans

If you already have single-origin beans for pour-over at home, you can also try extracting them as espresso. By adjusting the coffee-to-water ratio, you can still pull a rich, concentrated coffee. FrontStreet Coffee has tried Ethiopia's Dorothy, washed Yirgacheffe, Flower Queen and Panama Geisha, all medium-light roasts, and made into Americano they all showed excellent flavor without sharp acidity or raw, astringent notes. The parameters differ slightly from a regular extraction. You can also follow FrontStreet Coffee's parameters:

Coffee amount: 20g
Grind size: 80% pass-through rate on a #20 sieve
Water temperature: 93°C
Coffee liquid extracted: 80ml

First pour 40ml of water and bloom for 2 minutes, then pour another 80ml of water and wait for the drip filtration to finish, yielding 80ml of coffee liquid.

The Perfect Pour Technique

Because sparkling water contains large amounts of carbon dioxide, pouring it causes the coffee oils to expand rapidly and burst forth. As the oil state becomes unstable, it quickly disintegrates, forming a lumpy appearance. So when pouring espresso, try to pour slowly and gently, letting the coffee retain its rich oils while avoiding spills that spoil the look.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For a sparkling Americano, a bright, fruit-forward bean is what makes the drink work, and FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Flower Queen fits perfectly. It comes from the Hambella area of Sidama, where ripe cherries dry on raised beds for 21 days. Roasted medium-light, it brings intense tropical fruit aromas of strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit and even lychee, with clear sweetness and very low bitterness, so it adds fruit and fizz rather than heaviness.

If you prefer a cleaner, more citrus-driven profile, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe from the Gudingding cooperative delivers citrus, berry and floral notes with a green tea finish, and it stands up well when pulled as espresso for this drink. FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Little Tomato is another option, with its bright cherry tomato and smoked plum acidity cut through by the bubbles.

Either way, the drink depends on a clean extraction, which is why FrontStreet Coffee favors the Hario V60: its conical shape and large single hole let you control the flow, so you can pull a sweet, balanced coffee without the burnt or astringent notes that ruin a sparkling Americano.