espresso with orange juice recipe — **Espresso with Orange Juice???**

This concoction of sour and tangy orange juice mixed with bitter and rich espresso does sound insane but believe me some people like this and you might be one of those people too, so don’t knock it till you tried it :)
**Servings:** 1
**Calories:** 15 kcal
**Prep Time:** 4 minutes

IMPORTANT: This recipe requires an Espresso machine and a good grinder which can be expensive, if you do not have access to these tools then check out this article on alternatives for an Espresso machines: Great Ways to Make Espresso Without an Espresso Machine

Skip Straight To The Recipe :)

Wait What? Coffee With Orange Juice?

pouring coffee espresso into a glass with orange juice — A strange combination for sure but a surprising taste for those who are adventurous

I know right? When I first heard of this combo I thought the world had gone crazy... Actually the world is kind of crazy right now (this post was written in 2022).

A breakfast staple, the OJ, Orange Juice, enjoyed throughout the entire world, combined with another staple coffee (or in this case the espresso version of coffee).

Given it’s rise in popularity (especially here in Thailand), you’ll find this drink popping up in cafes everywhere, heck you can even make it yourself in the complimentary intercontinental breakfast buffet at the hotel you are staying at.

As strange as it sounds, you wouldn’t expect it to be good but don't knock it till you try it.

Does it Actually Taste Good?

Sour and tangy orange juice mixed with bitter and rich espresso. The taste is something that you will be unfamiliar with but if you are adventurous then it is definitely worth a shot. The combination creates a complex flavor profile that you can’t really find in any other drink.

It’s an acquired taste, and with the large variations between coffee beans and each cafe’s preparation, you might find a cafe that does this drink well or you might find one where you would rather not hear the words “orange” and “coffee” together ever again.

Even if you absolutely disgust the idea of fruit mixed with coffee you should know that citrus and coffee does have a surprisingly long history.

Coffee With Citrus

Citrus is a very intriguing ingredient in coffee. Its use is mainly to add a sour kick to the caffeine to help you wake up. Done correctly and citrus with coffee can be a very delicious combination.

A drink you might’ve heard of is the Espresso Romano, which is a shot of espresso with a squeeze of lemon juice in it. This drink dates back to The Second World War and is still enjoyed to this day.

A more modern drink is the trend of Yuzu-ifying everything. Yuzu is a Japanese lemon that features a highly aromatic rind. One drink that you may recognize is the Yuzu Cold Brew from Starbucks. In fact, Cold Brew can be a great base to add various flavorings, with the most popular being fruits and citrus-y ingredients.

What Coffee Beans and Orange Juice Should You Use?

Honestly, use your favorite bean and orange juice.

Personally I like a balance of flavors with this drink. So I make sure that my orange juice is not too sour (and I don’t like pulp so I used one without it.) and my coffee bean is a darker roast.

You could also make your own freshly squeezed orange juice as I sometimes do. This will give you control over the flavors and will eliminate all of the artificial flavor that you would get if you purchased orange juice from your local super market.

Using a darker roast means that the fruity notes that you would get with a lighter roast would not add to the already sour orange juice. I can only handle so much sourness.

Orange Juice Espresso Ingredients

16g of Coffee Beans (preferably medium or dark roast)

180ml of Orange Juice
Ice

Orange Juice Espresso Recipe

Grind your coffee -grind your coffee beans to a fine grind for your espresso machine (about the texture of flour).
Pull your espresso - pull a double shot espresso (2oz or 60ml).
Pour orange juice - in a glass, add your ice and pour in 180ml of Orange Juice.
Pour your espresso - pour your espresso into your glass and admire the espresso dispersing through the orange juice.
Serve and enjoy!

Tips

You should use cold orange juice, in addition to the ice, it will help cool down the espresso quicker.
Ensure you give enough time for your Espresso machine to heat up to operational temperature.
It is important to get your espresso dialed correctly. As a poorly extracted shot can make for a powerfully unpleasant bitterness and sourness to this drink.
You could make your own freshly squeezed Orange Juice, in fact I highly recommend you make your own because you’ll get none of that artificial flavor.