What's the Best Way to Drink Earl Grey Tea?

By: Jen Funk Weber

The best way to drink Earl Grey tea is going to be different for each tea lover. I often find “best” and “favorite” impossible to choose, especially when it comes to groups with many excellent choices, groups like tea—or chocolate, pie, flowers, books, and . . . well, you get the idea.
But if Earl Grey tea is a particular kind of tea—malty black tea mixed with bright, citrusy bergamot—are there really that many choices?
Yep.

This bergamot-accented tea has made its way to the breakfast table and beyond as a favorite go-to tea. So, what's the best way to drink Earl Grey tea?

Brewing

If we’re aiming for the “best” tea, let’s start with brewing. I think we can all agree that a well-brewed cup of tea is step one.
The secret to a perfect cup is using good, pure water and heating it in a non-reactive vessel to the proper temperature (this will vary depending on the base tea). Use the right quantity of tea leaves and steep the leaves for the right amount of time.
In other words, follow the instructions on the tea packet! Tweaking the brewing method to suit your tastes is part of the process, but this is a good place to start.
The best way to drink Earl Grey tea is to brew it well.
A bag of Queen's Blend green earl grey tea sits on a wooden background: a cup of tea fit for royalty, just for you!

A bag of Queen's Blend green earl grey tea sits on a wooden background: a cup of tea fit for royalty, just for you!

Hot vs Cold

If it’s 104 degrees outside, the best way to drink Earl Grey tea is iced. If it’s -26 degrees, then hot Earl Grey wins the day. (Trust me on this. I live in Alaska.) This tea tastes great at any temperature.
A group of tea additions sits on a blue surface, with varying bottles and boxes—whole vanilla bean paste, rose petal extract, coconut milk, whipping cream, New Zealand honey, and organic Hawaiian honey.

A group of tea additions sits on a blue surface, with varying bottles and boxes—whole vanilla bean paste, rose petal extract, coconut milk, whipping cream, New Zealand honey, and organic Hawaiian honey.

Dressing Up

I appreciate Earl Grey tea on its own, but I also like it dressed up. Heaps of people add lemon, sugar, honey, and/or milk. Check out Jesse’s Earl Grey Milk Tea and Boba recipes. Try them all and see if you can choose the “best.”
Being a tea adventurer and D-I-Yer, I like to muck about with other flavor additions, too: rose petals, homemade rose extract, flavored honey, lavender, herbs, vanilla, and...just about any interesting food-quality scent or flavor that I can get my hands on. That’s because Earl Grey makes a good base.
A variety of Earl Grey teas sit on a wooden background, with a purple mailer on the left and a tea towel with a moose on the right. A cup of tea sits just below them, with tea leaves and bright pink flower petals scattered around.

A variety of Earl Grey teas sit on a wooden background, with a purple mailer on the left and a tea towel with a moose on the right. A cup of tea sits just below them, with tea leaves and bright pink flower petals scattered around.

Plum Deluxe Does it Better

This is why Plum Deluxe offers different Earl Grey blends and hosts Earl Grey Month every June.
You don’t need to spend hours collecting rose petals, or months growing herbs, or—egads!—years waiting for the rose extract to mellow because Andy regularly dresses up Earl Grey tea, creating unique flavors that surprise and delight—and have me looking forward to June on July first.
Imagine: Pecan Earl Grey, Crème Brulee Earl Grey, Lemon Crème Earl Grey, Strawberry Earl Grey, Lavender Earl Grey, Vanilla Earl Grey, and even Sage-Lemongrass-Mint Earl Grey—it totally works! If those sound good to you, or if you’re just game for some flavorful fun, you can stop imagining and start drinking because these are all Plum Deluxe Earl Grey regulars, meaning they’re available year-round.
They are also regulars in my tea box. Every. Single. One. As much as I love adding my own ingredients for interesting Earl Grey flavor adventures, I’m an amateur. Andy does it better.
The best way to enjoy an Earl Grey flavor adventure is with Plum Deluxe.
A giraffe-patterned mug sits next to a cup of Delightful Morning Earl Grey tea. A canvas of a leopard hiding in foliage can be seen in the background.

A giraffe-patterned mug sits next to a cup of Delightful Morning Earl Grey tea. A canvas of a leopard hiding in foliage can be seen in the background.

It’s all in the Presentation

Do you have a favorite teacup or mug? Maybe you have a family-heirloom china teacup that makes you feel connected, or a mug purchased on vacation to remind you of a special event. Or maybe you have a cup that just makes you smile. I have several, including this giraffe mug which brings back all kinds of thrilling memories.
The best way to drink Earl Grey tea is in your favorite cup.
Two people sit on a deck, next to a mug of tea and a flower pot full of varying colorful flowers and a bag of earl grey tea sitting in front.

Two people sit on a deck, next to a mug of tea and a flower pot full of varying colorful flowers and a bag of earl grey tea sitting in front.

Moments that Matter

Or maybe the best way to drink Earl Grey tea has nothing to do with the brewing method, flavor alterations, or presentation. Perhaps the best way to drink Earl Grey tea depends on where, when, and with whom you undertake it.
Maybe the best way to drink Earl Grey tea is while doing something you enjoy, like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
Maybe the best way to drink Earl Grey tea is while camping in wild and beautiful places.
Maybe the best way to drink Earl Grey tea is on a sunny deck with a good friend.

So, What’s the Best Way to Drink Earl Grey Tea?

Being the Earl Grey fangirl that I am, as far as I’m concerned, the best way to drink Earl Grey tea is any way at all, but the tips above will help you make your perfect cup!

Jen Funk Weber

Jen Funk Weber writes for kids and adults about her favorite 184 things, including tea, Alaska (aka home), travel, nature, wildlife, gardening, embroidery, crafts, and puzzles (the kind you solve with a pencil). Her next book, Puzzler’s Guide to Alaska, hits shelves in spring 2021. Catch up with Jen at jenfunkweber.com.

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