The Earl Grey recipe
for your table
Fill the mug with hot water, let it stand for half a minute, and pour the water out. Black tea needs hot water, and a cold mug immediately takes a few degrees off it. Dry the outside so you can pick it up cleanly later.
Bring the water to a boil and pour it over the leaves a few seconds later; just off the boil is ideal for black tea. Use three grams of loose leaves per thirty centiliters, about one level teaspoon per mug. A tea bag works just as well, but loose leaves give the bergamot more room.
Let the tea steep for three to four minutes, then remove the leaves. If the leaves stay in the water longer, the dry, robust side of the black tea comes forward and overwhelms the citrus aroma. Cover the mug while it steeps so the bergamot stays in the glass, not in the kitchen.
Choose now: a thin slice of lemon makes it fresh and brings out the bergamot, while a cloud of cold milk makes it smooth and soft. Don’t use both, because the acid in lemon makes milk curdle. Honey or sugar can be added separately, and for a London Fog, froth the milk and pour it over the tea.
What did you think of this recipe?
One click on a star is enough. If you’d like to add something, we’ll read it first before it appears here.
Save this recipe
Send the Earl Grey recipe to your own email so you have it at hand when you make it. You’ll also receive a €5 discount code on orders from €50, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
Earl Grey is named after Charles Grey, the second Earl Grey, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 1830s. How his name became associated with this tea has never been established. The story exists in several versions, including one about bergamot tea that was supposedly given to him and another about a blend made for his household, and none of these versions can be proven. What is certain is that the name became established in the nineteenth century as a designation for black tea with bergamot, and that combination has remained ever since.
The right glass
Serve Earl Grey in a mug or glass with a handle, as it goes in hot and you drink it slowly. Glass has an advantage over earthenware here: you can see the color of the infusion, and therefore whether it has steeped long enough or too long. Choose 27 to 32 centiliters, leaving room for a slice of lemon or a cloud of milk without it spilling over the rim. If you often work with layers of milk, also take a look at the latte macchiato glasses.
Bormioli Rocco Icon Mug Tea Glass 32 cl (6 pieces)
La Rochère Abeille Tea Mug 27.5 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 61,90.
The right tools
For an Earl Grey, besides the glass, use a zester to remove a strip of lemon peel and a jigger to measure a splash precisely. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 51,85.
Variations & twists
Lady Grey is the same black tea with bergamot, but with pieces of citrus peel and often blue cornflower added, making it lighter. You may also see Earl Grey with loose blue cornflower petals mixed through the leaves; they are mainly for appearance and add hardly any flavour. With steamed milk and a little vanilla, it is called a London Fog, and served cold with ice and a slice of lemon, it comes close to iced tea. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Place the lemon and milk separately on the table and let everyone choose for themselves, because the two do not go together in one mug. Serve something simple alongside, such as a cookie or a piece of cake; the bergamot needs little to balance it. Pour it immediately after steeping, when the citrus aroma is at its strongest.
Good to know
What bergamot is
Bergamot is a citrus fruit that looks like a cross between a lemon and a bitter orange. It is mainly grown in Calabria, in southern Italy. The flesh is too sour and bitter to eat on its own; it is the oil in the peel that matters, as it has a floral, fresh aroma. That oil is applied to the tea leaves.
Where the name Earl Grey comes from
The tea is named after Charles Grey, the second Earl Grey and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 1830s. It cannot be proven how his name became associated with it: various stories circulate, and none can be substantiated. It is certain, however, that the name has been established since the nineteenth century.
With milk or a slice of lemon
Either works, but not together: the acid in lemon makes milk curdle. Lemon brings Earl Grey towards the fresh side and accentuates the bergamot; milk makes it round and smooth and softens the citrus. If you take milk, brew the tea a little stronger so it doesn't get lost.
Lady Grey and Earl Grey with cornflower
Lady Grey is black tea with bergamot plus pieces of citrus peel, often with blue cornflower, making it lighter. Earl Grey with blue cornflower is regular Earl Grey with those petals mixed through the leaves; they are mainly for visual appeal and add hardly any flavor.
Making a London Fog
Brew a strong Earl Grey using half the usual amount of water, froth milk until it is warm and creamy, and pour it over the tea. You can add half a teaspoon of vanilla. The result is a drink somewhere between tea and a milk drink, best served in a mug with a handle holding at least thirty centilitres.
Caffeine in Earl Grey
Earl Grey is black tea, so it contains caffeine; the bergamot oil does not change that. How much ends up in your mug depends on the amount of leaves and the steeping time. There are also versions made with green or white tea, which produce a lighter brew.
Frequently asked questions
What is Earl Grey?
Earl Grey is black tea with bergamot oil added. Bergamot is a citrus fruit grown mainly in Calabria; the oil from the peel gives the tea its floral citrus aroma. Brew it like ordinary black tea and drink it plain, with lemon or with milk.
Where does the name Earl Grey come from?
Named after Charles Grey, the second Earl Grey, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 1830s. How the tea got its name has never been established: several stories circulate, and none can be proven.
How do you brew Earl Grey?
Use three grams of loose leaves per thirty centilitres of water just off the boil, steep for three to four minutes, then remove the leaves. Warm the mug first and cover it while steeping so the bergamot aroma stays in the glass.
What is the difference between Earl Grey and Lady Grey?
In addition to bergamot, Lady Grey contains pieces of citrus peel and often blue cornflower, making it lighter and fresher. Earl Grey is simply black tea with bergamot oil. Earl Grey with cornflower petals is regular Earl Grey; the petals are mainly there for visual appeal.
Also delicious
Everything for your bar,
to one address
Glasses in hospitality quality, supplied per set. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →