Whether hot or iced, English breakfast tea is one of the most popular teas in the world. This is a black tea blend that is full-bodied, robust, rich and blended to go well with milk and sugar, in a style traditionally associated with a hearty English breakfast. This blend has a mix of Ceylon and Keemun tea to give a perfectly balanced blend. English breakfast tea is a great choice in the morning to start your day. Ahem, it is called breakfast tea after all.

The origin story of English breakfast tea varies, but the most common story is that it was created by the Scottish tea merchant Robert Drysdale in the late 19th century in America. In the UK, the popularization of breakfast tea has been attributed in part to Queen Victoria. At Balmoral in 1892 she tasted and enjoyed a blend so-named and returned to London with a supply. Despite this tea's Scottish origin, it subsequently acquired the prefix "English".

How much caffeine is in English breakfast tea?

English Breakfast is a blend of different black teas crafted with both the final flavor profile and caffeine content in focus. It’s usually made from broken tea leaves as they will release more flavor and caffeine, resulting in a stronger, bolder, richer cup of tea.

The exact amount of caffeine will vary from type to type. However, you may expect somewhere around 30-60mg of caffeine per cup. English breakfast is not necessarily the strongest cup of tea comparing to Indian Assam blends. Moreover, when made with sugar and milk, it can satisfy the taste buds of even the biggest coffee drinkers.

How to brew English Breakfast tea

To brew a cup of perfect English breakfast tea, use 2-4 grams of tea per cup of water. Although 2 grams will give a strong brew, 4 grams will undoubtedly give a better morning boost. Bring water to a boil and let it cool down to 203 °F. Some blends may require a lower temperature. English breakfast is one of rare teas that should be made using western style brewing technique. Multiple steeping will never give a strong enough brew in a single steep, and won’t be enough to hold the milk. Steep for 3-5 minutes.

Longer steep will extract more caffeine and stronger flavor. Your tea should never be unpleasantly bitter, only slightly astringent. Milk should enhance the flavor and offer a new experience, rather than cover the bitterness of tea.

Making Ice Tea

Because of their robustness and maltiness, English Breakfast blend is a perfect choice for making iced tea lattes. For making an iced tea latte use at least 5 grams of tea and brew in 50 ml of nearly boiling water for 10 minutes. Fill the shaker with ice, add a sweetener, 100-150 ml of whole milk and shake. For a better flavor, boil the tea leaves in milk.

Ingredients: English Breakfast Black Tea