As a daily espresso drinker, I have found there's arguably nothing better than a bold, bitter, and toasty shot of espresso to greet me a good morning. Admittedly, though, there are times when my brew is too strong, waking my body with a zap of caffeine yet weighing my taste buds down with its heaviness. Coffee is already a beverage with complex flavors, but .
Whether you have a shot of espresso or American-brewed coffee, lemon juice makes coffee's taste more dynamic — it adds a freshness to the roasted qualities and brightens the earthy notes. Coffee is a natural dehydrant and leaves a dryness in the mouth, but squeezing in some lemon juice adds an entirely new refreshing quality. It's a much tastier, subtler version of the .
The coffee-lemon juice combination has uncertain origins, but it is classically known as an espresso romano. In Italian cuisine, an espresso romano refers to a shot of espresso with either a slice of lemon (in or on the side) or the juice of a lemon, with or without sugar. Its presentation depends on the person or establishment serving it.
The espresso romano is also the signature drink of Giugliano, a town in the Naples region where the drink is considered a delicacy. Creative ways to combine lemon juice and coffee . But there are other inventive ways to mesh the two flavors together.
In recent years, iced espresso tonics have grown in popularity. The tonic also adds a piquant, bright element to espresso, which would pair well with added lemon juice. .
