The Fruity Espresso Drink That Replaces South Korea's Love For Iced Americanos

In the summer, iced coffee and iced tea are the perfect drinks for staying cool and caffeinated. But what about combining the two? While this sounds like a combination that would ruin two beverages that are perfectly fine on their own, it can be delicious if done right. In South Korea, a beverage that has been gaining popularity over the past few years is 아샷추, pronounced "ashotchu" in English, a mixture of sweetened fruity iced tea and an espresso shot. Ashotchu is a creative, fruity, and sweeter alternative to iced Americanos, the most popular coffee drink in South Korea.

Adding fruit to espresso seems bizarre, especially since we associate classic flavors like vanilla, caramel, and chocolate with coffee drinks. In ashotchu, the deep, roasted flavor of coffee is amplified, and the bitterness and acidity are balanced out with fresh, bright fruit flavors, plus a touch of sweetness. Plus, these lighter flavors are typically what most of us crave during a hot summer day. Ashotchu is not the only drink where we're seeing the fruity coffee combo; adding blueberry syrup to coffee has increased in popularity this year, and Coffee Mate released an orange cream pop-flavored creamer earlier this summer. 

Making the iced tea with espresso at home is relatively easy, and allows you a lot of room for creative freedom. The first step is to choose a fruit-flavored tea; stone fruits like peach and lychee, or citrus work well with coffee, and peach appears to be the most popular flavor in South Korea. You can certainly use tea bags to brew iced tea, but loose-leaf tea will provide a stronger flavor. Add in your sweetener of choice, like sugar, honey, or agave, to taste. Instant iced tea packets can also be used instead of the tea and sweetener. For the espresso, you can brew a single shot using a Nespresso machine, percolator, moka pot, or an espresso machine. Add ice to the tea, and pour the espresso over the top. 

This drink is not yet popular in the United States, so don't expect it to be on menus or for your barista to know what ashotchu is. However, it's not the most complicated drink to order; if the coffee shop already serves up a sweetened fruit iced tea, then all you have to do is order a small or medium size and ask for an added shot of espresso. If ordering a large iced tea, order a double shot of espresso to keep the ratio more balanced. If the tea is not sweetened, ask for an addition of a fruit-flavored syrup or other sweetener of choice. It is also possible to order the drink components separately, and then mix yourself.