Why do we love coffee cocktails so much?

In recent years, especially thanks to TikTok and Instagram, many food trends have spread, mainly from the United States: one of the recurring trends, favored by the arrival of summer, seems to be pairing an espresso with various types of cocktails – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. An example is what has become known as the “coffee tonic,” also called “espresso tonic": a drink considered very refreshing that mixes coffee with tonic water, served strictly with ice. In some cases, the drink is also given a hint of cinnamon or lemon. Before going viral on TikTok and in the USA, the coffee tonic probably originated and spread in Sweden several years ago. Some tonic water brands also play on citrus notes, which further enhance the coffee. Not surprisingly, in the summer of 2022, thanks again to social networks, pouring a shot of espresso into orange juice became popular to offset the bitterness of the coffee without resorting to traditional milk – less favored during the hot months. Recently, some have tried making a kombucha – a drink that is increasingly popular and traditionally made by fermenting teas – starting from coffee, while last year, again on TikTok, a new version of the Espresso Martini, a cocktail based on vodka and coffee born in the late 1980s, stirred much debate by featuring grated Parmesan as a topping.

Why we are obsessed with coffee

Every day, billions of people around the world start their day by drinking coffee. Some repeat the ritual several times throughout the day, even for simple pleasure. It is estimated that about 90% of the adult American population regularly consumes caffeine, while the European Union boasts one of the highest annual per capita consumption rates in the world. After all, coffee is one of the most popular beverages ever, and caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive substance. The consumption of coffee is so ingrained that the vast majority of individuals tend not to notice its effects. Few, in fact, consider it a stimulant, and in clinical terms, daily coffee consumption is not classified as a real addiction. In other words, the alteration produced by caffeine is such a common experience that it is difficult to be truly aware of it. In the extensive scientific literature on this subject, caffeine is almost always described as a substance capable of enhancing psychomotor and cognitive performance. Those who suddenly stop drinking coffee usually experience headaches, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, or irritability, among other things.

The effects of coffee on our body

The first coffee of the day has particularly noticeable effects not so much because of the properties of the drink but because it interrupts a feeling of discomfort triggered by what can be seen as a kind of caffeine withdrawal. Not surprisingly, even 12 hours after consumption, the effects of caffeine are generally still present for most people. When we drink coffee, our body quickly absorbs the caffeine, which enters the bloodstream, increasing adrenaline levels and stimulating the nervous system – the reaction is, however, highly subjective and varies greatly between individuals. This is also why it is common to consume coffee several times a day, often diluting it – especially abroad. This is precisely how many other ways of drinking and appreciating an espresso have spread, including more creative ones that involve mixing it with a cocktail.