Earl Grey is one of the most recognizable teas in the world. One sip and you know it: a black tea scented with oil of bergamot, a citrus fruit that tastes somewhere between a lemon, an orange, and a grapefruit, with a bright, floral edge.

It's also one of the most-searched teas on our site, so it seemed right to tell its story. The short version: the name comes from a real British prime minister, but much of the rest is legend.

Who was Earl Grey?

The tea is named after Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey, who served as Britain's prime minister from 1830 to 1834. He's best remembered for the Reform Act of 1832, which overhauled Britain's voting system, and for the abolition of slavery across most of the British Empire during his time in office.

The legends

There are a few popular stories about how a prime minister ended up with a tea named after him.

• The grateful mandarin. The most famous tale says a Chinese official sent the earl a gift of bergamot-scented tea after one of Grey's men saved the official's son. It's a nice story, but there's no evidence for it, and Grey never traveled to China.

• The hard water. Another story says a Chinese tea master blended the tea for the Grey family home, Howick Hall in Northumberland, using bergamot to balance the taste of the local water. The family's guests loved it, and Lady Grey served it in London society.

Several British tea merchants have claimed to have the original recipe over the years, and nobody has been able to prove it.

What the record actually shows

Tea flavored with bergamot was already being sold in Britain by the 1820s, sometimes to make lower-grade tea taste like a more expensive one. But the name "Earl Grey" doesn't show up in print until the 1880s, decades after the earl's death in 1845. So the honest answer is that bergamot tea came first, and the famous name got attached to it later, probably as clever marketing.

What is bergamot?

Bergamot is a small, fragrant citrus fruit grown mostly along the coast of Calabria, in southern Italy. The fruit is too sour to eat out of hand, but the oil pressed from its peel is wonderfully aromatic. It's used in perfume as well as in tea, which is why a good Earl Grey smells so lovely the moment you open the bag.

Earl Grey today

Modern Earl Grey is almost always made with black tea, though you'll also find green tea and rooibos versions. Our classic Earl Grey blends premium black tea with bergamot oil, citrus peels, and blue cornflower petals. It's bright and refreshing, and it's lovely with pastries and cake. It comes in a sample size (about 5 cups) as well as 4 oz, 8 oz, and 1 lb bags.

If you like the classic, try one of its cousins:

• Cream Earl Grey, smoothed out with a touch of vanilla.

• Decaf Cream Earl Grey, for an evening cup.

• Lavender Earl Grey, with a soft floral note.

How to brew Earl Grey

• Use 1 rounded teaspoon of loose leaf (about 2–3 grams) per 8 ounces of water.

• Pour freshly boiled water (205–212°F) over the leaves.

• Steep for 3–5 minutes, then taste and adjust.

Earl Grey is great on its own, with a slice of lemon, or with a splash of milk. For iced Earl Grey and a homemade London Fog latte, see our guide on how to brew Earl Grey three ways.

Two centuries after Charles Grey left office, nobody can say for sure how his name ended up on a tin of tea. But it's easy to see why the tea itself stuck around.

If you love espresso drinks, here's a fun experiment: run tea through your espresso machine instead of coffee. The method is almost the same as pulling a coffee shot, and the result is a strong, concentrated tea you can sip straight, stretch with hot water, or turn into a tea cappuccino or latte. A few simple choices make the difference between a harsh shot and a delicious one, so let's go through them.

A tea cappuccino made with CTC black tea.

Choose a black tea

Black tea is the best fit for espresso. It's fully oxidized, so it has a fuller, more robust flavor that holds up to the very hot water and pressure of an espresso machine, and to milk afterward. Green and white teas are unoxidized or only lightly processed, and their delicate flavors tend to turn grassy or bitter under those conditions, so save them for gentle steeping in a cup or teapot.

CTC black tea grounds after brewing.

Use a CTC tea for the best extraction

We recommend a CTC black tea. CTC stands for "cut, tear, curl" (you'll also see "crush, tear, curl"), a machine method that turns tea leaves into tiny, uniform pellets. Because the pieces are so small, water pulls flavor out of them quickly, which is exactly what you want in the short time a shot takes. They also pack into a portafilter much like ground coffee, while big, fluffy whole leaves don't.

Our Irish Breakfast is a CTC blend of Assam and Kenya black teas with a strong, malty flavor that loves milk, so it's a great place to start.

CTC tea in the porta-filter.

Fill and tamp the portafilter

Fill and tamp the portafilter the way you normally would for coffee, but don't overfill it. Then pull your shot.

Adjust to taste

If the shot is too strong to enjoy on its own, top it up with hot water, much like an Americano. For a tea cappuccino or latte, add steamed milk and foam, and play with the ratio until it tastes right to you. A little honey or sugar is lovely, too.

Tea espresso dripping out into the cups.

Now turn on the machine and enjoy your first tea espresso! For more ways to brew, read our guide on how to brew the perfect cup of black tea, or browse our Black Tea collection.

Want a bold, full-bodied cup of tea with real strength behind it? If you have a stovetop moka pot at home, try brewing tea in it. A moka pot pushes hot water up through the leaves under gentle pressure, and the result is a rich, concentrated brew that's wonderful on its own or as the base for a black tea latte.

What kind of tea works best in a moka pot?

In our experience, black tea is the best fit. It's fully oxidized, so it holds up to the high heat and pressure of a moka pot and still tastes smooth and malty. Green and white teas are much more delicate; at these temperatures they tend to turn bitter or grassy, so save them for gentle steeping in a cup or teapot.

Small, broken-leaf black teas are especially good here because they release their flavor quickly. Our Irish Breakfast is a CTC tea (cut, tear and curl) made from Assam and Kenya teas, and its tiny pellets pack evenly into the moka pot basket. English Breakfast and Assam Hunwal are also great choices if you love a malty, robust cup with milk.

How to brew tea in a moka pot

1. Fill the base with hot water. Starting with hot water shortens the time the leaves sit over the heat. Fill only to just below the safety valve.

2. Add the tea to the filter basket. Fill the basket with tea leaves and level them off with a spoon. Don't press or tamp the leaves down, and don't overfill the basket.

3. Assemble the pot. Screw the top section on firmly (use a towel, since the base will be hot) and set the pot on the stove.

4. Heat over medium. Keep the flame or burner at medium, and make sure it doesn't reach up around the handle.

5. Watch for the first trickle. Take the pot off the heat as soon as tea starts dribbling out of the spout. The remaining heat will push the rest of the tea through.

6. Pour and enjoy. Moka pot tea is strong and concentrated, so you can drink it as is, top it up with a little hot water, or add steamed milk for a creamy tea latte.

Tips for the best moka pot tea

• Adjust the strength. If the tea is too strong, use a little less tea in the basket next time rather than packing it tighter.

• Keep it clean. Rinse the basket and gasket well after each brew so tea residue doesn't build up or flavor your coffee.

• Sweeten to taste. A spoonful of honey or sugar goes well with the bold, malty flavor, especially in a latte.

Prefer a more traditional cup? See our tips for brewing the perfect cup of black tea, or try making a tea espresso and cappuccino with your espresso machine. You can find all of our loose-leaf black teas here.

When tea starts dribbling out, take the pot off the stove. 

The perfect late morning and afternoon tea.  

Our Earl Grey has an unbelievable aroma that portends an unbelievable taste. A correct balance of flavoring results in a piquant and refreshing true Earl Grey taste that goes well with pastries and cakes. The true taste from the bergamot oil creates an Earl Grey that calls you back for more. No wonder it is the most consumed afternoon tea.

Earl Grey

This Irish Breakfast (Blend of Assam and Kenya tea) is strong, malty, and with right amount of astringency. Taste good with and  without milk. If you like a strong cuppa, we highly recommend this tea.

Irish Breakfast

Our English Breakfast is a blend of Ceylon, Kenya and India black tea. It brews a full bodied breakfast tea with excellent body and full flavor. Enjoy it as it is or with a few drops of milk. Can't go wrong either way.