A Simply Delicious Earl Grey Tea Cocktail

Earl Grey Cocktail is a true classic and excellent tea cocktail. This easy alcoholic tea cocktail is made with orange liqueur and earl grey tea.

Earl Grey Tea Cocktail

Earl Grey is a beautiful tea that makes an excellent mixer for tea cocktails. Here is a simple and sophisticated alcoholic tea made with Grand Marnier and Earl Grey.

Tea is the most popular drink in Britain, with over 165,000,000 cups drunk daily. And the two most consumed teas are Earl Grey and English Breakfast.

Why are they so popular?

While studying tea, I noticed that most tea drinkers from Western countries prefer flavored black teas. One of the most popular flavored teas in the West is Earl Grey. Even though Earl Grey is an international bestseller, it took me a long time to find an Earl Grey tea that was actually good and not artificially flavored — unlike some acrid blends I’ve had before.

But I never gave up. Always willing to try a new tea, I finally came across an Earl Grey I liked. I had to find out why. What made this one superior to all the other Earl Grey teas I've tried?

The secret is in the bergamot oil

The distinctive flavor of Earl Grey comes from bergamot oil. Bergamot is a Mediterranean citrus fruit with a very generous rind. Perfumeries and tea blenders prize it for its fragrant essential oil. The black tea used as a base for Earl Grey is a blend and often comes from China, India, or Sri Lanka.

I discovered that some tea blenders use natural bergamot oil while others use synthetic oil. Unfortunately, most are artificially flavored. When a genuine oil is used, it will say ''oil of bergamot'' or ''bergamot essential oil''. Natural bergamot has a subtle but intense flavor. And it's not easy to find.

If the tea is artificially flavored, it will read ''bergamot flavoring'' or ''bergamot flavor.'' This is not the same as essential bergamot oil and you can definitely taste the difference.

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How to Brew Tea Perfectly Every Time

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Blending Earl Grey tea

Since Earl Grey is a blended, flavored black tea, the exact blend of black tea and the choice and amount of bergamot oil will significantly affect its flavor. Here is where the craft of the tea blender is so essential.

The best Earl Grey tea I have ever had was a handcrafted artisanal tea blend from Steve Smith Teamaker. Steve was the founder of Smith Teamaker. Before that, he founded Tazo Tea, which he eventually sold to Starbucks. Before that, he co-founded Stash Tea.

Years ago, when I first tried Smith Teamaker Earl Grey tea, dubbed ''Lord Bergamot,'' I reached out to Steve to find out what made it so extraordinarily delicious. He said the key was using all-natural bergamot oil from Italy. Italian bergamot oil is costly but the preferred oil.

Of course — the Italians — when it comes to food, you can't mistake their passion for excellence! Italian bergamot oil makes the Earl Grey tea a tad pricey, but it's worth it. The new owners of Smith Teamaker have carried on Steve Smith's traditions since his passing in 2015.

The Smith Teamaker Earl Grey black tea base is a blend of Assam tea from India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon) tea from the Dimbula and Uva regions. It is scented with bergamot oil from Reggio Calabria, Italy. You won't find Smith Teamaker Earl Grey in most stores. But you can buy Smith Teamaker Lord Bergamot on Amazon or their website.

Tea cocktails

Alcoholic tea drinks are easy to make. Here's what you will need:

• Earl Grey tea for the simple syrup and lemon juice.

• You'll need three chilled coupe glasses and a Boston shaker glass filled with ice. A glass pitcher will also do.

• Orange liqueur. The two most famous brands of orange liqueur are Grand Marnier and Cointreau.

Grand Marnier is the classic liqueur

Grand Marnier is a French liqueur and a remarkable blend of cognac and tropical oranges from the Caribbean. It was created in 1880 by Louis-Alexander Marnier Lapostolle.

Cognac is made from Ugni Blanc grapes from the Cognac region in France. It is a perfect blend for alcoholic tea, particularly Earl Grey—the orange-flavor liqueur enhances it perfectly.

Note: Grand Marnier is gluten-free, according to celiac.com

Here are a few recipe tips

Tips:

• Make sure the tea and simple syrup are cooled before mixing.

• Use a cocktail shaker. Shake until it is cold.

• Always use a good quality liqueur.

• Select an Earl Grey made with natural Bergamot oil.

• Make the simple syrup ahead and refrigerate.

Earl Grey tea cocktail recipe

Servings: 3

Ingredients

Earl Grey Simple Syrup

• 1.5 cups water

• 3 tsp Earl Grey loose tea (heaping tsp)

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Cocktail

• ice cubes

• 4.5 oz Grand Marnier Liqueur

• 4.5 oz Earl Grey Simple Syrup

• 1.5 oz lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

• 3 orange slice

Instructions

Earl Grey Simple Syrup

• Bring water to boil in a small saucepan. 

• Add Earl Grey tea leaves to brew for 4 minutes. 

• Add sugar and stir to dissolve. 

•  Strain syrup into a measuring cup. Set aside to cool.

Cocktail

• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add Grand Marnier, Earl Grey syrup, and lemon juice. Shake well. 

• Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

Notes

This recipe serves three but scales nicely. To serve six, double the number of servings required.

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 57.3gProtein: 1.9gFat: 0.3gSodium: 74.4mgFiber: 1.5gSugar: 50.6gVitamin A: 400IUVitamin C: 42.9mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 0.9mg

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❤️ ❤️ Tried this recipe? Let me know how it was!

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