Although its origins are still unverified, it is believed that the London Fog Tea Latte originated in the Pacific Northwest most particularly in Vancouver, Canada in the 90s. It has since been included in the Starbucks menu described as a bright, citrusy spark of Italian bergamot blends with subtle hints of lavender, vanilla syrup, and steamed milk for this frothy reinvention of classic Earl Grey tea. (Starbucks 2021)

Though I've heard about London Fog a few years ago, my first sip was actually a boba milk tea version with brown sugar from Gong Cha. It was love at first try! There's just something so luxurious with the pairing of earl grey and lavender. A match made in heaven! Also, a sprinkling of ground cinnamon is optional, however, much like the lavender, it adds another layer of flavor that compliments the drink. I highly recommend it!

London Fog Tea Latte Recipe

This recipe yields a Starbucks tall size or 12 ounces of tea latte. The preparation time is less than 10 minutes. Feel free to scale the recipe up or down depending on the amount you want.

Equipment: handheld frother (or a glass jar with lid as an alternative), tea infuser if using loose-leaf earl grey

Ingredients:

• 1 -2 bags of early grey tea (or loose leaf tea)

• 3/4 cup (6 oz) boiling water

• 3/4 cup (6 oz) milk

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp culinary-grade lavender leaves (or extract)

• sweeteners such as honey or sugar

• ground cinnamon (optional)

Steps:

1. Steep earl grey in a cup of hot water for at least 3 minutes. If using loose leaf tea, place earl grey and lavender in the infuser together to steep. If the infuser is unavailable, simply sprinkle the lavender into the hot water to infuse and strain out once done steeping.

2. Add vanilla extract and sweetener then mix.

3. Warm-up milk either stove-top or in the microwave, do not boil just simmer. If an electric frother is not available, you can place the warm milk in a mason jar, secure the lid tightly and shake for at least 30 seconds to froth.

4. Pour the milk into the earl grey tea and top with the froth.

5. Sprinkle with cinnamon. (optional)

Also check out, my London Fog Latte with brown sugar recipe here! If you ever get the chance to make this comfort drink, tag me on Instagram @sweetsavorygrace! Cheers!