Lavender Earl Grey Tea Latte/London Fog (Hot or Iced)

This simple and calming Lavender Earl Grey Tea Latte/London Fog features fragrant earl grey tea, milk and a homemade lavender simple syrup. It's a calming and cozy drink that can be enjoyed hot or cold.

What is a London Fog?

If you live on the West Coast, you may have heard of a drink called London Fog.

Did you know that it was invented in Vancouver?!

It's really just a fancy name for an Earl Grey Tea Latte, which consists of earl grey tea, milk and vanilla syrup. Sometimes the vanilla syrup is interchanged with lavender syrup.

London Fogs are typically served hot, but can be made iced as well.

What is Earl Grey tea?

Earl grey tea is a black tea infused with bergamot oil.

The bergamot oil gives the tea a bright citrus note and gives Earl Grey its distinctive aroma and uplifting flavor. 

What is a tea latte?

A tea latte is a drink consisting of equal parts tea and steamed/frothed milk. 

Unlike a regular latte, tea lattes do not contain any coffee.

There are many variations of tea lattes, including matcha, hojicha, oolong, and rose milk tea latte.

Why you'll love this recipe

This recipe for London Fog/Earl Grey Tea Latte is:

Easy to make: you can make the lavender syrup ahead of time, or use a store-bought syrup for convenience.

Fragrant: the lavender syrup imparts a floral fragrance that makes this drink unique.

Adaptable: you can make it hot or iced, depending on your mood.

Economical: with only a handful of ingredients, you can make this cafe favorite in the comfort of your home!

Ingredients you'll need

A London Fog usually consists of:

• Earl Grey tea: black tea with bergamot; I prefer using an Earl Grey tea with strong or double bergamot oil scent
• frothed milk: any type of milk or non-dairy alternative will work for this tea latte
• vanilla extract: a splash of vanilla extract ties the flavors together; use a good quality vanilla extract
• simple syrup: a sweet syrup consisting of equal parts water and sugar; it can be vanilla syrup or lavender syrup

How to make it

Prepare the Lavender Syrup which will add sweetness and that light floral lavender flavor to the London Fog. (You can swap for vanilla syrup or plain simple syrup with an extra splash of vanilla extract).

Hot:

Add Earl Grey tea bags to a heat-safe mug.

Bring water up to a boil and pour the hot water over the tea bags. Let it steep for 3-5 minutes.

Heat up your milk of choice (either over the stovetop or in the microwave).

Use an electric frother to add a little foam to the warmed milk.

Pour the frothed milk over the tea, add vanilla extract and stir in lavender syrup (to your taste). 

Iced:

Add Earl Grey tea bags to a heat-safe mug.

Pour in ¼ C of hot water and let it steep 3-5 minutes.

Let the tea cool (or chill in the fridge).

Pour the chilled tea into a tall glass.

Add in lavender syrup (to taste), vanilla extract, ice cubes and top off with milk (of your choice).

Expert tips & substitutions 

Tip: for a more luxurious treat, try adding vanilla sweet cream cold foam to the iced London Fog.

What can I use if I don't have a electric frother?

You can use a small balloon whisk. 

Can I leave out lavender syrup?

Sure, you can leave out the lavender syrup and make a plain simple syrup or use vanilla syrup instead.

A simple syrup is equal parts of water and sugar.

It dissolves in drinks much more easily, compared to using granulated sugar.

Can I use honey instead?

You can use a little honey in place of the syrup, and make it a honey lavender earl grey tea latte, which is reminiscent of my Lavender Honeycomb Lavender Latte.

Other earl grey recipes you may like

If you love Earl Grey, you also may enjoy these recipes:

Earl Grey Milk Jam

Beragmot Earl Grey Loaf

No-Churn Earl Grey Ice Cream

Earl Grey Cream Tart

Let me know if you try out this Lavender Earl Grey Tea Latte recipe! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave a comment/rating below!