What Is a London Fog

A London Fog is a tea latte made with Earl Grey, steamed milk, and a touch of vanilla. It is not coffee. It belongs on this site anyway, because Pulled is for everyone who buys a barista-made drink, and the London Fog is one of the best things a barista can hand you when coffee is not what you need.

The drink originated in Vancouver, Canada, in the late 1990s. The story credits a customer at a Buckwheat Cafe who was pregnant, avoiding coffee, and asked for Earl Grey with steamed milk and vanilla. The barista made it. The name came later, from the fog-like color of the bergamot-infused tea mixing with milk.

Why It Works

Earl Grey's defining flavor is bergamot, a citrus fruit native to southern Italy. Bergamot oil gives the tea its distinctive floral, slightly bitter, vaguely citrus character. When combined with vanilla and steamed milk, the bergamot softens into something aromatic and comforting. The caffeine content is lower than coffee but present, roughly 40 to 70 milligrams per cup. It is the right drink for late afternoon, when coffee would keep you up but you still want something warm and slightly stimulating.

The milk should be steamed the same way it would be for a latte. A flat, under-steamed London Fog tastes like tepid tea with milk in it. A properly steamed one tastes like warmth. Find a cafe near you that serves tea with the same care they give to coffee.

Keep reading: What Is a Dirty Chai, What Is a Matcha Latte, Latte vs. Cappuccino.