Earl Grey Tea: What Is Bergamot and How to Brew It

Key takeaways

Earl Grey is black tea flavoured with bergamot.
Bergamot is a citrus fruit grown mainly in Calabria, Italy.
The tea is named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey; its origin story is uncertain.
Hakgala uses Ceylon black tea and natural bergamot.
Brew at about 95°C for 3–4 minutes.

Introduction

Few teas are as instantly recognisable as Earl Grey. Lift the lid of the caddy and the bright, perfumed scent of bergamot fills the air: citrus, floral and a little spicy, all at once. Earl Grey is the world’s best-known flavoured tea, served in grand hotels and at kitchen tables, hot or iced, plain, with lemon or with milk. It has inspired countless variations, from Lady Grey to the London Fog latte, and it has a place in cakes, chocolates and cocktails too.

At its heart, Earl Grey is simple: black tea flavoured with bergamot. But the quality of both ingredients makes all the difference. A flat, dusty base tea or a harsh, artificial flavour makes a disappointing cup. A bright, well-made black tea and a fresh, natural bergamot make one of the most elegant teas in the world.

Hakgala, the Ceylon tea brand of Raiden (Pvt) Ltd, makes its Earl Grey with Ceylon black tea grown on Raiden’s own plantations in Sri Lanka, flavoured with natural bergamot. It is produced under local and international certifications, and Dsigngo Marketing manages the brand worldwide.

This article explains what bergamot is, the stories behind Earl Grey’s name, why Ceylon tea makes an excellent base, how Hakgala makes its Earl Grey, how to brew and serve it, and how to use it in recipes, with advice for hotels, cafés and retailers.

What is Earl Grey tea?

Earl Grey is black tea flavoured with the essential oil of the bergamot orange. The oil comes from the rind of the fruit and gives the tea its distinctive citrus-floral aroma. A good Earl Grey has:

A bright, fragrant aroma, where the bergamot is clear but not overpowering.
A smooth black tea base that supports the flavour rather than competing with it.
A refreshing, lingering finish.

Earl Grey can be made with many kinds of black tea, and some versions use green, white or oolong tea as the base. The classic version is black tea, and Ceylon tea is one of the most popular choices, because its brightness and clean finish complement bergamot beautifully.

What is bergamot?

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is a fragrant citrus fruit, a little larger than an orange, with a yellow-green skin. It is too sour and bitter to eat raw, but its rind contains a precious essential oil. Most of the world’s bergamot is grown along a narrow coastal strip of Calabria, in the far south of Italy, where the climate suits it perfectly.

Bergamot oil is used in perfumes, cosmetics and foods, as well as in tea. Its scent combines bright citrus with floral, almost lavender-like notes and a hint of spice. In tea, it can be added as a natural essential oil or flavouring, sometimes together with pieces of dried bergamot or orange peel or cornflower petals for decoration.

The legends behind the name

Earl Grey is named after Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834. How his name became attached to the tea is not clearly recorded, and several stories are told:

One legend says a Chinese mandarin gave the Earl a bergamot-scented tea as a gift after a member of the Earl’s party saved his son’s life. Historians doubt this, because the Earl never travelled to China and bergamot was not a Chinese flavouring.
Another story says a tea was blended for the Earl to suit the water at his family home, Howick Hall in Northumberland, where bergamot masked the taste of the local water.
Several London tea merchants claimed in the nineteenth century to have created the original recipe.

The true origin may never be known. What is certain is that bergamot-flavoured tea was being sold in Britain in the nineteenth century, and that the name “Earl Grey” became the established name for it.

Why Ceylon tea makes a great Earl Grey

The base tea is the foundation of every Earl Grey. Ceylon black tea is a favourite because:

Brightness: its lively, golden-orange liquor lifts the citrus notes of bergamot.
Clean finish: Ceylon tea’s clean taste lets the bergamot shine without muddiness.
Balance: medium-bodied Ceylon teas support the flavour without overpowering it.
Versatility: Ceylon Earl Grey is excellent plain, with lemon, with milk and iced.

Teas from Sri Lanka’s higher elevations, with their fragrant, floral character, are particularly good partners for bergamot. Leafy and broken grades such as OP and BOP give an attractive appearance in loose tea and hold the flavour well (see Grade Articles 2 and 3).

How Hakgala makes Earl Grey

Making Hakgala Earl Grey

1GrowCeylon black tea on Raiden's own plantations
2Selectbright OP and BOP grades as the base
3Flavouradd natural bergamot evenly to the leaf
4Restallow the aroma to settle into the tea
5Tastecheck every batch for balance
6Packseal in Sri Lanka to lock in the aroma

Figure 1: How Hakgala makes Earl Grey with Ceylon tea from its own plantations and natural bergamot.

Hakgala Earl Grey begins with bright Ceylon black tea from Raiden’s own plantations, using OP and BOP grades for loose tea and finer grades for tea bags. Natural bergamot is added evenly to the tea, which is then allowed to rest so the aroma settles into the leaf. Each batch is tasted to check that the bergamot is clear and fresh, but balanced with the tea, before it is sealed in airtight packs in Sri Lanka.

Because bergamot is a volatile, fragrant oil, packaging is especially important. Hakgala Earl Grey is sealed to protect its aroma from air and light.

How Hakgala Earl Grey tastes

Aspect	Description
Dry leaf	Black Ceylon leaf with a strong bergamot aroma
Liquor	Bright golden-orange
Aroma	Fresh citrus and floral bergamot
Taste	Smooth Ceylon black tea with bright, perfumed citrus
Body	Medium
Finish	Clean, refreshing and fragrant

How to brew Earl Grey

Hot Earl Grey

Heat fresh water to about 95°C, just off the boil. Boiling water can make the bergamot taste harsh.
Use one tea bag or 2–2.5 grams of loose tea per 250ml cup.
Brew for 3–4 minutes. Longer brewing makes the tea stronger and more astringent.
Serve plain, with a slice of lemon to enhance the citrus, or with a little milk for a softer cup.

Iced Earl Grey

Brew double-strength tea for 4 minutes, sweeten with a little honey while hot, cool, then pour over ice with orange or lemon slices. Bergamot is wonderfully refreshing in iced tea.

Cold-brew Earl Grey

Steep 8–10 grams of loose Earl Grey in a litre of cold water in the fridge for 8–12 hours, then strain. Cold brewing gives a smooth, perfumed tea with almost no bitterness.

Earl Grey variations

Variation	What it is
Lady Grey	Earl Grey with extra citrus, such as lemon and orange peel, for a lighter, fruitier cup
Earl Grey crème	Earl Grey with vanilla or cream notes
Russian Earl Grey	Earl Grey with extra citrus and sometimes lemongrass
Green Earl Grey	Green tea flavoured with bergamot
Earl Grey with flowers	Earl Grey decorated with cornflower or rose petals

Three Earl Grey recipes

London Fog latte

Brew one Hakgala Earl Grey tea bag (or 3 grams of loose tea) in 120ml of water at 95°C for 5 minutes.
Stir in a teaspoon of vanilla syrup or honey.
Top with 120ml of steamed, frothed milk.
Dust with a little Ceylon cinnamon or lavender sugar.

Earl Grey shortbread

Grind one tablespoon of loose Earl Grey to a fine powder.
Beat 200g of soft butter with 100g of sugar, then mix in 300g of plain flour and the ground tea.
Roll into a log, chill, slice into rounds and bake at 170°C for 12–15 minutes.

Earl Grey and orange iced tea

Brew four Earl Grey tea bags in 500ml of hot water for 4 minutes. Add two tablespoons of honey, cool, then add 500ml of cold water and the juice of two oranges. Serve over ice with orange slices and mint.

What to eat with Earl Grey

Earl Grey’s citrus and floral notes make it a natural partner for:

Lemon desserts: lemon tart, lemon drizzle cake, lemon meringue.
Scones and shortbread.
Chocolate: dark chocolate and chocolate cake, where bergamot adds brightness.
Light savoury food: smoked salmon sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches and mild cheeses.
Fruit: berries, oranges and pears.
Sri Lankan sweets: love cake and butter cake.

The science of scent: why bergamot is so distinctive

Bergamot oil contains a blend of aromatic compounds. Some give fresh citrus notes, like those in lemon and orange. Others are the same compounds found in lavender, giving bergamot its floral, slightly herbal character. This combination is why Earl Grey smells both citrusy and floral, and why it is used in perfumery as well as tea.

These aromatic compounds are volatile: they evaporate easily. That is why Earl Grey loses its scent if it is left open to the air, and why it tastes best brewed below a full boil. It is also why the quality of the bergamot and the freshness of the pack matter so much.

How to judge a good Earl Grey

Aroma: fresh, bright and natural, not sharp, soapy or perfume-like.
Balance: you should taste both the tea and the bergamot.
Base tea: a bright, clean black tea, not a flat or dusty one.
Freshness: a strong aroma when the pack is opened.
Finish: pleasant and lingering, without harshness.

Earl Grey on the menu: drink ideas for cafés and hotels

Drink	How to make it
Classic Earl Grey	Brewed in a pot at 95°C for 3–4 minutes, served with lemon
London Fog	Strong Earl Grey with vanilla and steamed milk
Iced Earl Grey with orange	Double-strength tea over ice with orange slices and honey
Earl Grey lemonade	Cold Earl Grey mixed half and half with fresh lemonade
Earl Grey sparkling tea	Cold-brewed Earl Grey topped with soda water and a twist of lemon peel
Earl Grey milk tea	Strong Earl Grey with milk and sugar, hot or iced

Earl Grey also works as a flavour in desserts: panna cotta, ice cream, chocolate truffles and cake fillings can all be infused with the tea. Steep loose Earl Grey in warm cream or milk for 10 minutes, strain and use as normal.

Earl Grey around the world

Earl Grey is enjoyed almost everywhere tea is drunk:

Britain: often taken plain or with lemon, especially in the afternoon.
North America: popular as hot tea and as the base of the London Fog latte.
The Gulf: served in hotels and cafés, and often enjoyed iced in hot weather.
Asia: used in tea lattes, cakes, pastries and ice cream.
Sri Lanka: increasingly popular in hotels, cafés and gift packs, often made with Ceylon tea.

Natural and artificial flavourings: what is the difference?

Flavoured teas can be made with natural or artificial flavourings. Natural bergamot comes from the fruit itself, usually as cold-pressed oil from the rind. Artificial or “nature-identical” flavourings are made to imitate the scent. Natural bergamot generally gives a fresher, more rounded and less sharp aroma, which is why Hakgala uses it. When buying any flavoured tea, read the ingredients list: it should state clearly what flavourings the tea contains.

Loose tea or tea bags?

Format	Advantages	Best for
Loose tea	Stronger aroma and fuller flavour; attractive leaf	Teapots, afternoon tea, gifts
Tea bags	Convenient and consistent	Offices, hotel rooms, travel

Caffeine and wellbeing

Earl Grey is a black tea and contains caffeine. Bergamot does not change its caffeine content. Hakgala makes no medical claims for its teas. If you are sensitive to citrus oils, check the ingredients before drinking flavoured teas.

Earl Grey compared with other Hakgala blends

Blend	Flavour	Strength	Best with
Earl Grey	Citrus and floral bergamot	Medium	Lemon or a little milk
English Afternoon (English Afternoon Tea Blend: A Lighter, Brighter Ceylon Cup for Afternoon Tea)	Bright, fragrant tea	Medium	Plain or milk
Rose and French Vanilla (Rose and French Vanilla Tea: A Floral, Sweet Ceylon Black Tea)	Floral and sweet	Medium	Plain
Lapsang Souchong (Lapsang Souchong Smoked Tea: History, Flavour and the Hakgala Smoked Ceylon Tea)	Smoky	Medium-strong	Plain

How to store Earl Grey

Store Earl Grey in an airtight, opaque container, away from light, heat and moisture, and separately from other teas, because bergamot’s scent can transfer to unflavoured teas. Use opened packs within a few months for the freshest aroma, and check the best-before date.

Earl Grey for hotels, cafés and retailers

Buyer	Format	Why it works
Hotels	Loose tea and enveloped tea bags	An essential tea for afternoon tea and room service
Cafés	Loose tea and tea bags	The base for London Fog lattes, iced teas and desserts
Bakeries and chocolatiers	Loose tea	Flavour for shortbread, cakes and chocolates
Retailers and importers	Retail packs, gift tins and private label	One of the best-selling flavoured teas worldwide

Dsigngo Marketing designs Hakgala Earl Grey packaging and menu materials, and Raiden (Pvt) Ltd supplies hotels, cafés, importers and private label clients. The Ceylon Tea Import and Export guide explains how we work with overseas buyers.

An example in practice

The following example is illustrative and does not describe a real client.

A specialty coffee shop wants to add tea drinks that appeal to its coffee customers. It decides to launch a London Fog latte and an iced Earl Grey with orange.

Dsigngo Marketing arranges a tasting of Hakgala Earl Grey brewed strong for lattes and cold-brewed for iced tea. The Ceylon base keeps its brightness through milk and ice, and the bergamot stays clear. The coffee shop adds both drinks to its menu, and Dsigngo designs a counter card: “Made with Hakgala Earl Grey: Ceylon tea and natural bergamot.”

Frequently asked questions

What gives Earl Grey its flavour?

Bergamot: the fragrant oil from the rind of the bergamot orange, a citrus fruit grown mainly in Calabria, southern Italy.

Who was Earl Grey?

Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister from 1830 to 1834. How his name became linked to the tea is uncertain.

Can I add milk to Earl Grey?

Yes, though many people prefer it plain or with lemon. A little milk gives a softer, creamier cup, and steamed milk makes a London Fog latte.

What is Lady Grey?

A variation of Earl Grey with extra citrus, such as lemon and orange peel, for a lighter, fruitier taste.

Does Earl Grey contain caffeine?

Yes. It is a black tea, so it contains caffeine; bergamot does not change the caffeine content.

Why does my Earl Grey taste bitter or soapy?

Usually the water was too hot or the tea brewed too long. Use water at about 95°C and brew for three to four minutes. A soapy taste can also mean a poor-quality or artificial flavouring.

Is Hakgala Earl Grey made with natural bergamot?

Yes. Hakgala Earl Grey combines Ceylon black tea from Raiden’s own plantations with natural bergamot.

Conclusion

Earl Grey is the world’s best-loved flavoured tea: black tea perfumed with the citrus and floral scent of bergamot. Its name honours a nineteenth-century British Prime Minister, its bergamot comes mostly from southern Italy, and its best base, many tea lovers agree, is bright, clean Ceylon tea.

Hakgala Earl Grey brings these together, with Ceylon black tea from Raiden’s own plantations and natural bergamot, produced under local and international certifications and presented by Dsigngo Marketing for homes, hotels, cafés and importers.

Want Hakgala Earl Grey for your café, hotel or shop? Contact Dsigngo Marketing for samples and product details.

Ask about Hakgala Earl Grey