Earl Grey Cocktail is a true classic and excellent tea cocktail. This delicious alcoholic drink is made with orange liqueur and Earl Grey tea, of course.

Earl Grey is a beautiful ingredient 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 being drunk every day of the year. The two most consumed teas are Earl Grey and English Breakfast.

Why are they so popular?

In studying tea, I've 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.

Not for me, though. Even though Earl Grey is an international bestseller, it took me a long time to find an Earl Grey tea I liked.

Shades of Earl Grey - $19.95
from: Firebelly Teas Inc.

But I never gave up. Always willing to try a new tea, I finally came across an Earl Grey that I liked. I had to find out why.

What made this one so superior to all the other Earl Grey teas that I've tried?

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.

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 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 Smith Teamaker Earl Grey black tea base is a blend of Assam tea from India and Sri Lanka tea from the Dimbula and Uva regions. You won't find Smith Teamaker Earl Grey in most stores. But you can buy Smith Teamaker Lord Bergamot on Amazon.

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 two chilled coupe glasses and a Boston shaker glass filled with ice. The 2-piece Boston cocktail shaker set can be found on Amazon or at just about any barware shop. Don't forget the strainer.

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

Proper barware is a must for any cocktail lover. Home Wet Bar specializes in personalized glassware, barware, signs, and decor. These make fantastic gifts or simply as an addition to your home bar.

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.

Earl Grey Cocktail Recipe

Pro 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.
Use my easy interactive recipe to change the servings from 1x to 2x to 3x.
Make the simple syrup ahead and refrigerate.

Recipe

Earl Grey Tea Cocktail

Mary Ann Rollano

Earl Grey tea is a classic. The beauty of Earl Grey is that it makes a wonderful mixer for cocktails, lattes, and cooking. This is a simple and sophisticated Earl Grey Tea cocktail made with Grand Marnier and garnished with an orange slice.

4.78 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 2

Cook Time 4

Total Time 6

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 259 kcal

Ingredients

Earl Grey Simple Syrup

½ cup water
1 teaspoon Earl Grey loose tea (heaping tsp)
¼ cup granulated sugar

For Cocktail

1 ice
1 ½ oz Grand Marnier Liqueur
1 ½ oz Earl Grey Simple Syrup
½ oz lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
1 orange slice

Instructions

Earl Grey 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 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 cocktail glass. Garnish with orange slice.

Notes

This recipe scales equally to the number of servings required. Just multiply the ingredients by the number of servings needed.

Nutrition

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

Keyword Alcoholic Tea, Earl Grey Cocktail, Earl Grey Tea, Tea Cocktail

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Where to Buy The Best Earl Grey Tea

Since discovering premium Earl Grey tea with the natural oil of bergamot, I've found a few other brands that make an excellent Earl Grey tea blend. You may want to try some of them out, too.

Adagio:

I've only tried their London Earl Grey, but they have various teas flavored with bergamot. The London Earl Grey is a premium black tea from China flavored with the oil of bergamot, a citrus fruit. It comes as a full-leaf tea in individually wrapped bags.

Kusmi Tea:

The White Anastasia Tea combines white tea, orange blossom, bergamot, and lemon, producing a lovely, delicate tea that reminds me of an oolong. The Anastasia tea is a blend of black China and Ceylon teas with scents of bergamot, lemon, lime, and orange blossom. The essential oil of bergamot scents the tea.

Smith Teamaker:

Smith Teamaker curates tea blends and loose-leaf varietals crafted in small batches in Portland, Oregon.

Vahdam Teas:

The Earl Grey Citrus Black Tea is a blend of black teas from India with the natural oil of bergamot fruit, a pear-shaped sour orange originally found in Italy. This delightfully fragrant tea's fruity and aromatic citrus flavor also makes it a great iced tea.

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