A London Fog is a creamy Earl Grey tea latte made with strongly brewed Earl Grey tea, warm frothed milk and vanilla. It has the comfort of a café latte, but instead of espresso, the flavour comes from fragrant black tea and bergamot.
The best part? You don't need any fancy equipment to make one at home. With a few simple ingredients and about 10 minutes, you can turn your usual cup of Earl Grey into a smooth, frothy tea latte.
For this London Fog recipe, we're using Tealish Earl Grey Cream, a loose leaf tea that fits especially well with the creamy, vanilla-forward flavours of the drink.
What is a London Fog?
A London Fog is an Earl Grey tea latte traditionally made with Earl Grey tea, steamed milk and vanilla. Sweeteners are often added, but that's completely up to you.
At its simplest, you need:
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Earl Grey tea
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Milk or your favourite milk alternative
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Vanilla
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Sweetener, if you like
So, what makes a London Fog different from a regular Earl Grey with milk?
It's all in the preparation. Instead of adding a splash of milk to a cup of tea, the Earl Grey is brewed stronger to create a concentrated tea base. A more generous amount of warm, preferably frothed milk is then added along with vanilla. The result is creamier and closer to a traditional café latte.
If you're already a fan of tea lattes, a London Fog is one of the easiest ones to make at home.
What Does a London Fog Taste Like?
Earl Grey gets its recognizable citrusy character from bergamot. In a London Fog, that bright flavour is balanced by creamy milk and vanilla.
The milk softens some of the stronger notes of the black tea, while vanilla adds sweetness and rounds everything out. You still taste the Earl Grey, which is exactly why brewing the tea strongly enough matters.
Using an Earl Grey with creamy or vanilla notes can bring those flavours together even more naturally. That's where Earl Grey Cream works particularly well.
What You Need to Make a London Fog
You don't need an espresso machine or a long list of ingredients for this recipe. Here's what you'll need for one serving:
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1–2 teaspoons Tealish Earl Grey Cream loose leaf tea
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¾ cup hot water
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½ cup milk or your preferred milk alternative
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¼–½ teaspoon vanilla extract, or vanilla syrup to taste
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Honey, maple syrup, sugar or another sweetener, optional
You can adjust the tea-to-milk ratio depending on how strong or creamy you like your Earl Grey latte.
Earl Grey Cream is an easy choice for this recipe because its creamy vanilla character works naturally with the milk and vanilla already used in a classic London Fog.
How to Make a London Fog at Home
If you've been wondering how to make a London Fog without making a trip to the café, here's the easy part. The process is essentially brew, warm, froth and pour.
1. Brew the Earl Grey
Add your loose leaf tea to an infuser and steep it in ¾ cup of hot water according to the tea's brewing instructions.
For a London Fog, you want the tea slightly stronger than you might normally drink it. Once you add milk, the flavour will soften, so starting with a stronger tea base helps the Earl Grey stay noticeable.
Rather than steeping the tea much longer, which can make black tea taste bitter, try using a little more tea if you prefer a stronger flavour.
2. Warm the milk
While your tea is steeping, gently warm about ½ cup of milk on the stovetop or in the microwave.
There's no need to boil it. You simply want the milk warm enough to blend nicely with your freshly brewed tea.
3. Froth the milk
Use a handheld milk frother to create a light layer of foam.
No frother? That's completely fine. Your London Fog will still taste great without one, and there are a few easy ways to create foam using equipment you probably already have.
4. Add the vanilla
Remove the tea leaves and stir the vanilla into your brewed Earl Grey.
If you're using vanilla syrup, you may find that you don't need another sweetener. If you're using vanilla extract, add honey, maple syrup or sugar to taste if you'd like your latte sweeter.
5. Add the milk
Pour the warm milk into your Earl Grey, holding back some of the foam. Spoon the remaining foam over the top.
That's it. Your homemade London Fog is ready.
How to Make a London Fog Without a Milk Frother
A milk frother makes things convenient, but it isn't essential.
For a quick option, warm the milk and whisk it vigorously until you create some foam. If you have a French press, pour in the warm milk and carefully move the plunger up and down several times until the milk becomes frothy.
You can also use a tightly sealed heat-safe jar. Shake the milk before heating it, remove the lid, then warm it in the microwave. Make sure the container you're using is suitable for both the temperature and method.
And if you'd rather skip the foam altogether, go for it. Warm milk will still give your London Fog its signature creamy texture.
Choosing the Best Earl Grey for a London Fog
The tea is doing most of the flavour work in an Earl Grey tea latte, so choosing one you genuinely enjoy makes a difference.
A flavourful Earl Grey works particularly well because its bergamot character needs to remain noticeable after milk and vanilla are added.
Using loose leaf tea also gives you plenty of control over the strength of your brew. You can simply add a little more tea when you want a more concentrated base without dramatically increasing the steeping time.
For this recipe, Tealish Earl Grey Cream brings together Earl Grey's familiar character with creamy vanilla notes, making it a natural match for a London Fog.
You can also explore more loose leaf teas and blends from Tealish if you'd like to experiment with different homemade tea lattes.
London Fog Variations
Once you know the basic recipe, it's easy to adjust your London Fog to suit your taste.
Make it iced: Brew your Earl Grey strong and let it cool. Add vanilla, pour it over plenty of ice and finish with cold milk. You can froth the cold milk first if you'd like a little extra texture.
Make it dairy-free: Swap dairy milk for your favourite plant-based option. Oat, almond and soy milk can all be used, although the flavour and frothing results will vary.
Make it less sweet: Skip the added sweetener and use vanilla extract rather than sweetened vanilla syrup. You can always taste it first and add sweetness afterward.
Make it stronger: Increase the amount of Earl Grey rather than dramatically extending the steeping time. This gives the tea more presence once the milk is added.
Add more vanilla: If vanilla is your favourite part of a London Fog, simply adjust the amount to taste. Start small, since a little vanilla extract can go a long way.
Make Your Next London Fog at Home
Once you know how to make a London Fog, there's not much standing between you and a café-style tea latte at home.
Brew your Earl Grey a little stronger, add vanilla and warm milk, then adjust the sweetness and foam to make it your own. Tealish Earl Grey Cream is a natural place to start, especially if you enjoy the creamy vanilla side of a classic London Fog.
And once you've mastered this one, the same simple technique opens the door to plenty of other homemade tea lattes. Explore more teas and brewing inspiration at Tealish.
