In honor of National Coffee Day this month, ABCo. Offers a Twist on the Traditional
Yes, yes, we know National Coffee Day kicked off the month of October. Anyone who walked into a cafe last week was sure to have gotten the memo. You probably also noticed that it’s time to switch from iced brews to warm, comforting drinks.
Coffee gets top billing in most places--and for good reason: it is addictively delicious--but here at ABCo, we thought we’d honor the special day by taking the opposite tack. Same goal. Difference approach.
We’d like to share a blog featuring a tea drink on National Coffee Day! Radical, we know. Still giving the nod to the holiday by sharing our delicious recipe for a lavender latte, we want to dedicate equal time to the lesser known, yet equally exciting drink--the Lavender London Fog.
A City in a Cup
A cloud in a cup is served every time you order this classic drink. The London Fog is a timeless choice—the title so evocative of the British capital city. The imagery is fantastic with this drink, with the foam representing the fog and the sepia-toned Earl Grey tea symbolizing either a muddy River Thames or the all the brick buildings which comprise the medieval city. Now how much fun in one beverage can you get?
Listening to a Voice of Experience
We talked to Kelley C., who owns and operates Churn (an ice cream and REALLY GOOD coffee and tea café) to learn how to make a classic Lavender London Fog. First of all, Kelley wanted us to know that the Lavender version is her most popular London Fog variety, followed by peppermint, then plain, then cinnamon, and in 5th place: pumpkin. Yes, even in October, she sells more lavender tea drinks than pumpkin ones. Impressive, eh?
Kelley talks ratio first. “You should aim for 60% tea and 40% foam,” AND, she says, “the key to making a great London Fog is the foam. You ideally have good, small bubbles, which will indicate that the milk has been aerated enough. If your foam deflates, that’s not good.”
“Honestly, it’s all about the foam!”
Here are Kelley’s foolproof steps to making a great fall beverage:
*this recipe is for a 16 oz cup of tea
- Steam the milk with a steamer or a stick aerator until the temperature reaches 140 degrees. This can take anywhere from 13-16 seconds. Your goal is to form small, aerated bubbles. The foam should set while you brew your tea.
Now, here comes the important step. Layering correctly is everything!
- Add the syrup first in the bottom of the cup. *If you wanna be really proper and British, warm your ceramic cup up first by pouring hot water into it and dumping it out. To achieve excellent flavor, make sure you blend 60% vanilla syrup with 40% lavender syrup. Kelley recommends a lavender-lemon syrup from Monin for her blend.
- Add hot water and stir in the syrup mixture. The water should be hot. Look to reach a temperature of 220 degrees.
- Add one bag of Earl Grey tea. Kelley recommends the English tea brand Harney & Sons, which sounds like a London law firm, but in actuality is a British fine tea company who’s been around forever. Well, actually, only since 1983 but they do know what they’re doing, especially when it comes to blends. Only steep the tea for one minute.
- Foam is added last. Take care to not blend too much with a spoon. Again, the idea is fog in your cup!
So there ya have it. TRY THIS AT HOME and when you do, please share your results with ABCo. on our insta page. Happy brewing and happy fall!
MEET THE AUTHOR / TINA TUMINELLA is a writer from Pittsburgh, PA who thinks of herself as an eater, talker, music-lover, mommy, francophile, and obsessive recycler. She bakes sweet things regularly, rides bikes and hikes with her family, and is a sucker for a pun. Her favorite product: Organic Lavender Cream