Make Sparkling Iced Americano This Way for Amazing Taste! What's the Perfect Ratio of Sparkling Water to Espresso?

Introduction to Carbonated Beverages

In the 21st century, carbonated beverages remain among the most popular drinks worldwide. Carbonated beverages refer to drinks containing carbon dioxide bubbles, including sparkling wine, soda water, cola, Sprite, and many other beverages!

The immense popularity of carbonated beverages stems from the unique texture created by their bubbles. People's experience with carbonated beverages is remarkably consistent: refreshing and cool, stimulating yet pleasant. Several years ago, the coffee world saw the birth of a sparkling specialty coffee, and to this day, it remains a favorite for most people! It is—the sparkling Americano.

What is a Sparkling Americano?

As the name suggests, a sparkling Americano is an Americano coffee filled with bubbles. Achieving this is not difficult—simply replace the water used in an Americano with sparkling water.

The Unique Experience

Some might ask: "Isn't it just the addition of bubbles? An Americano is still an Americano—how much better can it taste?" Well, you might be surprised—it's actually quite delicious! Moreover, the experience of a sparkling Americano begins from the moment it's prepared. This moment specifically starts when the espresso is poured over the sparkling water. When we pour espresso over sparkling water, we can hear numerous bubbles bursting—the crackling sounds stimulate our brains, triggering dopamine release and making us feel remarkably healed and comfortable.

Next, stir gently with a straw (be sure to be gentle) to allow the espresso and bubbles to thoroughly blend. The moment the sparkling Americano enters your mouth, countless bubbles begin to burst one after another upon contact with your oral cavity, creating a slight numbness and tingling sensation. This is what we call the stimulating feeling, and it's one of the most addictive factors of sparkling Americanos.

Immediately following this comes the coffee's own flavor characteristics, as sparkling water doesn't significantly affect the coffee's flavor. Under this dual delightful experience, sparkling Americanos are extremely enjoyable and naturally make people addicted to them. However, it's worth noting that making a delicious sparkling Americano requires considerable technique!

How to Make a Delicious Sparkling Americano

When made well, it's the supreme carbonated beverage; when made poorly, it becomes what people often mock as "sparkling dishwater." So next, FrontStreet Coffee will share how to make a delicious sparkling Americano! Use the following parameters: 40ml espresso (a double shot extracted from 20g of coffee grounds in 30 seconds), 160ml sparkling water; 100ml ice cubes. As you can see, there's no difference from a regular Americano—simply replacing water with sparkling water. But if you make it like a regular Americano, you'll witness the following scene!

This is the consequence of pouring espresso directly as you would for a regular Americano. The sparkling water and espresso, under intense contact, produce a "stress response"—bubbles burst, the espresso's oils directly transform into foam that gushes out, then quickly disintegrates due to the dissipation of carbon dioxide, forming an ugly, pitted surface. Such a sparkling Americano not only looks unappealing but also lacks that stimulating sensation when consumed. Because the bubbles in the water have already burst from the impact of the espresso, by the time we drink it, many bubbles are already gone, significantly diminishing the experience. Most importantly, the bitterness is very noticeable. Therefore, when making sparkling Americanos, we should pay attention to the following two points:

1. Reduce the impact when pouring espresso

Bubbles are the primary contributors to the stimulating texture. To maintain excellent texture, we need to preserve bubbles to the greatest extent possible. Therefore, pouring espresso from a higher position (or with more force) like we just did is not advisable. We can pour close to the liquid surface or over the ice cubes, which can minimize the impact force and reduce the occurrence of "stress responses." (The same applies when pouring sparkling water—reduce impact as well)

2. Remove the espresso crema

Although crema is the soul of espresso, for sparkling Americanos, the fine particles in the crema will accelerate bubble loss and contribute some bitterness to the coffee. Therefore, when making sparkling Americanos, it's best to remove the crema. This can reduce bubble loss, enhance the texture, and eliminate the bitterness brought by fine particles.

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