Earl Grey tea, named after Charles Earl Grey, is like most others a type of tea, but what sets it apart from others is the flowery taste that accompanies the bitterness of black tea leaves.
The preparation of this tea is the primary factor if you want to enjoy it at its peak. It involves the same generic steps but with more care, which befits its grandiose name.
So, when you come to this point, what’s else to think about; it is the tea you made, so drink it as usual. But wait, there is still more to go, which brings us to the question, how to drink Earl Grey tea?
Like other teas, drink your Earl Grey tea black, meaning straight without additives. Or you can add sugar/sweeteners if you have a sweet tooth, lemon for health benefits, and milk/cream for that extra savory sweet taste.
Here, we will guide you on different methods to drink Earl Grey tea and how to keep things healthier by opting for each option individually.
Ways To Drink Earl Grey Tea
There are four methods to drink Earl Grey tea, and each type carries its perk. Following is the list of best to least best based on health effects.
1. Drink It Black
The first method goes without saying is drinking it black, and it brings the best out of all the beneficial effects Earl Grey tea can provide.
No matter the type of tea, drinking it black is the best way to avail the benefits and keep the demerits to a minimum.
Drinking Earl Grey tea black isn’t a bitter experience like other blends because the bitterness is accompanied by bergamot, which provides the fruity citrus flavor.
It makes drinking this tea much easier compared to other types.
How To Make Earl Grey Tea
To brew a cup of Earl Grey tea, you need tea leaves or tea bags for starters.
- Take a kettle and add water; usually, an ounce more than a cup to compensate for the water loss in heating or boiling.
- Add tea leaves to your cup and make sure to warm the cup beforehand, to ensure that you don’t lose out on taste due to heat loss.
- Pour the hot water over these leaves, and ensure to check the tea brewing temperature for Earl Grey tea, which is 208 °F for a perfect cup.
- Let it steep for 2 minutes for a mild taste or 5-7 minutes for a stronger one.
- Strain out the leaves, and enjoy them with side dishes or food of your liking.
2. Drink Lemon Earl Grey Tea
The next in line is adding lemon to your Earl Grey tea.
It will compliment the citrus note of the bergamot and caters perfectly if you love your tea sour. That’s not all; you can make Lemon Earl Grey Iced Tea as a refreshing summer tea for yourself.
To whip up a cup of this tea quickly, follow the same procedure as black Earl Grey tea. The only difference is in the last step, where you will add lemon to your prepared tea.
For a cup of Earl Grey tea, you should squeeze a quarter to half a lemon, depending on how much you can handle.
Start with a quarter and gradually increase till you reach half a lemon squeeze. Remember not to go over that unless you want an upset stomach (for heavy drinkers) and a sour mouth.
Why should you drink it, you ask? Earl Grey tea may provide benefits when drunk plain, but adding lemon comes close to the first rank because it adds digestive benefits to your tea.
3. Drink It by Adding Sugar or Sweeteners
The preferred way for most people is to add sugar to dampen the bitterness and compliment the sour texture of Earl Grey tea.
So, to keep things healthier, use natural sweeteners for the best effect.
Again, the procedure is the same as the original Earl Grey tea. The only difference comes when you add tea leaves to the cup, you add sugar or sweetener as well.
The amount of sweetener or sugar can go from half a teaspoon to a tablespoon, and the principle stays the same; try with the least amount first, and gradually increase if you want a sweeter touch.
4. Drink It by Adding Milk
Another method is a dream come true for milk lovers, and you should add milk to your Earl Grey tea.
What it does is add the buttery and velvety texture to your run-off-the-mill tea, which cuts back the strong flavor of the tea, and brings out a more savory flavor.
For the amount of milk, check out this definitive rule for adding milk to tea, but for most, reversing the order works best for a bulkier milky texture.
So, instead of a ¼ ratio, go for ¾ of the milk to water ratio.
It brings us to our milkier option of Latte Earl Grey tea, which requires milk, especially steamed, to make your cup.
In this case, prepare your usual cup with half a cup of water, and in a separate pot or saucepan, bring milk to boiling temp (half a cup), the same amount as water.
Add the milk to your tea afterward, and that is all. For more twists, add artificial flavorings, e.g., vanilla essence.
Try blending each option, e.g., add lemon and sweetener together to achieve harmony between the two or sweetener and milk. But never add lemon and milk together unless you want to make a mess of things.
Conclusion
Lastly, you can drink Earl Grey tea in whatever way you prefer. It doesn’t have to follow the norm; go for the one that caters to your taste buds.
But before going after a fixed option, it doesn’t hurt to try various options.
So, drink your Earl Grey tea black to honor its grandiose origin, add lemon to it for ease on your digestive tract, add sweeteners or milk, and make Iced Earl Grey tea as a refreshing drink and enjoy!
