Why sparkling water with macchiato

Small menu. Not much food. Tampers and hands. Simple as that. Just look for the four signs and avoid the bitter taste of fauxpresso and wasted money. Author Recent Posts. M Elias Keller. He then opened a bottle of tonic water, poured it over a glass of ice, and dumped in the espresso in swift movement. No mixing.

No superfluous flourishes. I was faced with a strangely beautiful creation. The espresso had yet to settle and distribute into the tonic water, and the fizz from the carbonation was pushing bubbles from the bottom of the glass up through the crema.

Clouds of swirling espresso were extending down into the icy layer. I was astonished. The bitter, acidic bite of the espresso was mellowed by the bubbly and lightly sweetened tonic water. In fact, regular coffee drinkers can probably count their usual, moderate coffee intake toward their daily hydration requirements, just the same as that glass of water provided by the barista!

Since the body is able to adequately adjust to routine caffeine consumption in reasonable amounts without becoming dehydrated, regular coffee drinkers may be contributing toward a state of healthy hydration rather than imperiling it. It turns out that the voice of popular opinion is not always the voice of sound scientific research. Since an espresso is much more highly concentrated than a regularly brewed cup of coffee, the caffeine content of an espresso is not as readily offset by the amount of water it contains.

Nevertheless, the greater proportional amount of caffeine contained in an espresso may explain why many people feel more comfortable consuming espresso with a glass of water on the side. Some people do have more sensitivity to caffeine than others and thus may justifiably worry about becoming dehydrated. And whether or not your expresso is a culprit for dehydration, having an extra glass of water is never a bad idea.

Does this apply to mineral water? Although carbonated drinks with harmful additives are not healthy for anyone, plain mineral water fights dehydration and promotes physical health without negative side effects. Typically, dogmatic statements about taste are bound to be met with loud cries of disagreement, and things are certainly no different within the realm of coffee connoisseurs.

To many espresso devotees, nothing can improve on the unadulterated taste of a perfectly prepared shot of espresso. This difference in taste provides one more potential reason for your receiving a glass of mineral water with your espresso. It just shows up. Is this a tradition, and where and why did it begin? Many people think serving the sparkling water is a carryover from Italian espresso bars.

Lauren Crabbe, co-owner of Andytown Roasters, feels the water is a useful addition to the espresso drinking experience. It allows customers to cleanse their palate before they try their espresso, and clear out any lingering toothpaste or food that might interfere with the flavors of the coffee. Or they can sip it after their shot and fight coffee breath.