(see what I did there? I crack myself up)
Here are my earl grey thoughts.
You either love it or you hate it If you have no opinion, then you drink coffee. earl grey evokes strong emotions. It is a thing unto itself. Servers, do not assume that giving someone a mug of earl grey is equivalent to a well brewed Assam or an indifferent generic green tea. It’s not.
I have instructed many ignorant waitstaff and counter servers that when someone asks for “black tea” they don’t mean “earl grey.” Yes, it is a black tea. It is a highly perfumed black tea. It is requested by name. Fans love it that much. “I’ll have earl grey please.”
Non-fans, no. We are haters. It’s not that we are picky or snobbish (those labels belong to the EG faction). We are not being difficult or imperious. We despise the taste of bergamot and just want some unadulterated black tea please and thank you.
A story: The year was 1990. My fiancee (coffee) and I (tea) went to high tea at a fancy high end Los Angeles restaurant to get ideas for our wedding reception. This was THE place for tea – elegantly appointed, delicious food, it was the shining high standard of the day.
We were seated at a table with snowy white linens, delicate china cups and saucers and silver plated utensils. The tea was poured. I knew at once what it was and sighed deeply. I asked the waiter if there were any other selections and he haughtily explained that this was the house blend. Friends, it was the dreaded earl grey.
I let my beloved draw his own conclusions – he knew how I felt about EG but had never been around it. I maintained a neutral posture as he lifted his cup, sniffed, tasted, and grimaced. He rolled the liquid over his tongue and wrinkled his nose. “is this….” he began. “yes” said I . The waiter brought scones and clotted cream and we embarked on a mission to make the beverage palatable.
We doctored that tea with lemon, with lemon and sugar, with sugar by itself, with milk, with milk and sugar. The distinct bergamot scent and flavor dominated every cup. It defeated us.
You either love earl grey or you hate it.
We did not serve EG at the wedding.
Corgi and a Cuppa Tea 