FAT AMERICANO RECIPE: A TRULY WEIRD COFFEE AND COCA-COLA DRINK

Learn how to make the Fat Americano, an unusual espresso drink that’s more than the sum of its parts.

I love a cup of refreshing cold brew on a hot day, but sometimes I want a little variety in my summer beverages. Enter the tasty (and packed full of caffeine) Fat Americano!

It pairs rich espresso with sweet, sparkling Coca-Cola for a flavor that’s more sophisticated than you’d expect. Keep reading to learn how to whip up this fun new take on the iced Americano.

How To Make A Fat Americano

First popularized in the hip cafe scene of Seoul, South Korea, the Fat Americano is actually one of the easiest coffee shop drinks to make at home (1). Here’s what you need to try the Fat Americano for yourself.

A few notes:

• You can use whatever coffee beans you enjoy for the espresso, but usually, darker roasts with a classic flavor profile of nuts, caramel, and bittersweet chocolate pair best with Coke. If you need a suggestion, click here for our top picks for espresso beans.
• Coca-Cola Classic is the standard choice here, but it’s not mandatory. If you prefer Pepsi or Diet Coke, they offer a similar enough flavor profile.

How much caffeine is in the Fat Americano?

The exact caffeine content in a Fat Americano varies depending on your choice of coffee and cola. But as a rough estimate, a double shot of espresso has about 100 mg, and a can of Coke has 34 mg. So a Fat Americano has around 134 mg of caffeine (2).

The Step-By-Step Fat Americano Recipe

Coca-Cola recently released a new drink called Coke Coffee, which is basically just Coke with coffee. This is not that. This, in my opinion, is far better. It’s bolder, richer, and more complex – sweet, spicy, and full of punch.

It’s well worth the minimal effort to make at home, especially if you’re already adept at pulling espresso shots. Let me walk you through it step by step.

Step 1: Prepare the Espresso

Prepare a double shot using an espresso machine. I won’t go through the details in this recipe, so if you need some guidance for this step, check out my article on how to pull a shot of espresso.

You can get away with using 2 ounces of very strong coffee – like from an Aeropress, Moka Pot, or Nespresso machine – but I recommend using a machine that can hit 9 bars of pressure for true espresso. The heavy body and creamy mouthfeel of a real shot pair better with the carbonated cola.

Pro tip: Pull your espresso shot into a chilled demitasse or pitcher so it cools quickly.

Step 2: Assemble Your Fat Americano

You want to keep everything as cold as possible for this icy summer drink. Have your glasses chilled in the freezer, and take the Coke out of the fridge at the last minute.

Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in a can of ice cold Coca-Cola, then add the double shot. As with making a traditional Americano, the order matters. By adding the coffee last, you preserve the crema on the top of the drink.

Pro tip: If you’re sensitive to caffeine, be warned that this drink packs a serious punch. To avoid the jitters, consider swapping in decaf soda or decaf coffee, or both.

Fat Americano Variations

You’re already adding coffee to Coke, so there’s no reason to shy away from breaking with tradition here. Feel free to get creative!

An easy variation is to add a splash of condensed milk, which is a better choice than regular milk for giving this drink a creamy body and milky taste. It almost reminds me of the famed Vietnamese iced coffee.

You can also play around with your choice of coffee beans and soda. Try a taste test using vanilla or cherry coke or even root beer (3). Coffee with orange juice is already a well-known drink, so why not test out an orange soda?

The Verdict

If you’re looking for a refreshing new way to pep yourself up on a hot July day, give the Fat Americano a try! It might sound like a joke, but I promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the pairing of rich, chocolatey espresso with sweet, smooth Coca-Cola.