Earl Gray Tea

Earl Gray Tea

A cup of tea can warm you from the inside out and can be a great way to start your day or enjoy a pick-me-up in the middle of the afternoon. While there are many types of tea available, few varieties are as popular as classic Earl Grey. Whether Earl Grey is a longtime favorite tea or you want to try it for the first time, Walgreens has an assortment of products that you can enjoy for your teatime.

What Is Earl Grey?

Earl Grey is a type of tea that became popular in England during the early 19th century. The tea has a very distinctive aroma and a tangy, citrus flavor. Its unique features are owed to the presence of a citrus fruit called bergamot. To make the tea, oil from bergamot is usually mixed with tea leaves, imparting the fragrance and taste of the fruit. Earl Grey tea is often enjoyed as a breakfast tea; however, it can be sipped any time of the day. Studies indicate that Earl Grey tea may be beneficial for lowering cholesterol levels, and like all tea, the leaves are a source of antioxidants, which help to protect the body from oxidative damage.

Types of Earl Grey Tea

There are two main types of Earl Grey tea: loose leaf and tea bag.

Loose leaf tea is typically added to a metal mesh infuser and placed inside of a cup or a teapot to steep. Many people prefer loose tea because it allows them to easily alter the strength of their tea. The drawback is that if an infuser is not used or is used improperly, the leaves from the tea can end up in the bottom of the teacup.

Earl Grey teabags are small paper or cloth bags filled with tea leaves. The bags can be dropped right into a cup and are lifted out by their attached strings. Tea bags are very quick and easy to use and keep the leaves contained to avoid the formation of sediment in the bottom of the cup. You can also find Earl Grey tea packaged into pods or capsules for use in select automatic brewing systems.