What Is the Viral Coconut Water Americano?

The sunny days of spring are here, and summer is so close we can taste it — especially when sipping social media's favorite new coffee trend, the iced coconut water Americano. 

We hope your Instagram and TikTok feeds looks something like ours, packed with happy, caffeinated people flaunting their love of this energizing and hydrating drink. The idea is as simple as it gets and nearly identical to a traditional Americano, but with one major swap: Pour coconut water over ice, then top it with a shot or two of espresso.

It almost sounds too simple, but the result is far from boring. The sweet, slightly salty coconut water helps smooth out the bitter flavors in espresso, allowing you to fully appreciate the coffee's complexity and highlighting its fruity notes.

Some people add in a touch of honey, frothing it into the espresso before pouring both over ice, but this extra ingredient is optional and should purely depend on how sweet you like your coffee.

Many TikTokers are crediting Rhythm Zero, a coffee shop in New York City, as the origin of the iced coconut Americano (although the cafe calls it a “Coco Americana”). This isn't the first place to make one of these beverages, but Rhythm Zero does have an excellent version.

One patron notes that the store's perfect iced coconut Americano is thanks to its selection of coconut water: It uses Strange Water, a brand of regular and sparkling canned coconut water that sources the liquid from coconuts grown in the Bến Tre region of Vietnam.

Coconut water and espresso combinations have been popping up in coffee shops for some time and in a variety of locations. Pairing the two ingredients has been popular in Thailand for quite a while, and you'll see it on many cafe menus.

You can score one of these refreshing beverages at Blue Blue in Utah, and Copra Coconuts — another brand of coconut water — published its recipe for the drink in 2024. In my home city of Lisbon, Portugal, Albi has had it on the menu since opening day. Consequently, I can confidently say that this is the perfect European summer coffee drink.

It's likely most of us don't have an espresso machine in our kitchens, but as Kenneth Pabon demonstrates on TikTok, you can make this with a Nespresso machine. Pabon simply drops in a Nespresso pod, adds ice and coconut water to a glass while the coffee brews, then pours the espresso and accompanying foam on top.

If you don't have a Nespresso machine or similar electric espresso maker, you could likely recreate this drink with some strong coffee from a moka pot.

Want to take your iced coconut Americano up a notch even further? Add a twist of lime and squeeze of citrus for more warm-weather vibes.