London fog is a delicious Earl Grey tea latte flavoured with vanilla. A perfect sweet tea and milk drink to enjoy as an alternative to coffee-based latte. Make this Starbucks beverage at home and enjoy coffeehouse-style milk tea anytime you please.

Hey, tea lovers! Did you ever hear about London Fog? If you like to add sugar and milk to your tea, this tea latte is right up your alley. What makes it special is its beautiful flavour blend: vanilla and bergamot!

Althought 90% of the time I take my tea plain, when I fancy a more exclusive tea break I like to add sugar and a splash of milk to my tea. This is particularly true with black tea. So when a friend of mine introduced me to London fog a few years back, a whole new world of tea enjoyment opened up to me.

What is London fog?

London fog is an Earl Grey tea latte flavoured with vanilla syrup. Steamed milk is commonly used, adding a thin layer of milk froth on the top just like in a (coffee) latte.

Although the origins are disputed, London fog was most likely invented in Vancouver in 1996. The tea latte was created as an alternative to coffee for a pregnant customer, who had paused her coffee consumption for the time of her pregnancy (source).

Funny enough, in Scotland this beverage goes by the name Vancouver fog. But there are more foggy cities featured in the world of tea lattes. Several variations of London fog have been created in recent years, with names evoking the different types of tea used. Worth mentioning are Tokyo fog with Matcha green tea, or Cape Town fog with Rooibos.

How to make London fog

This stylish tea latte only requires 3 ingredients and is pretty easy to make at home. Here’s what you will need:

• Earl Grey tea
• Vanilla syrup
• Whole milk

• Steep the tea in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. You want to make it quite strong for maximum flavour.
• Add 2 pumps of vanilla syrup. If your syrup bottle does not have a pump you can use 2 tbsp of it. Stir to dissolve.
• Steam the milk and slowly pour it into the tea over a spoon to create layers for a nice “foggy” appearance. Gently push down some of the thicker foam on top of your beverage for the final layer.

Recipe tips

You can choose Earl Grey tea from any brand – I’d recommend to use your favourite! I like to use loose leaf tea and an infuser, but a teabag works equally fine.

Vanilla syrup is a very convenient way to incorporate both sweetness and vanilla flavour. If you don’t have vanilla syrup you can use vanilla essence and a spoonful of sugar.

London fog is has both the vanilla flavour and some sweetness. So if sugar is not an option for you, choose your sugarfree sweetener of choice.

Whole milk is usually a standard ingredient in classic lattes/cappuccinos. I recommend the use of whole milk especially if you have a milk steamer. However, if you prefer other types of milk the choice is only yours.

If you don’t have access to a steamer, a simple handheld milk frother will also do the job well. You really don’t wanna pass up the frothy top layer.

If you liked the combination of flavour in this tea latte you may want to give my no-churn London fog ice cream a try during the warmer season. No ice-cream machine required to make this delicious dessert that delivers the same beautiful flavour in the form of ice cream! Trust me, it’s really worth it.

If you haven’t had a chance to try London fog, you may want to pin my recipe for later. When you do, please let me know in the comments if you liked it as much as I do.

This recipe was originally published in January 2017 and has been updated in January 2021.

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London fog tea latte

An Earl Grey tea latte flavoured with vanilla and topped with frothy steamed milk.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword coffeehouse, earl grey tea, tea latte

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 person

Calories 181kcal

Author Eva | Electric Blue Food

Equipment

• Tea mug
• Spoon
• Milk steamer or frother

Ingredients

• 1 tsp loose leaf Earl Grey tea or 1 teabag
• 250 ml boiling hot water
• 120 ml whole milk
• 2 tbsp vanilla syrup

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Steep the tea in a cup of boiling hot water for 3-4 minutes until quite strong. Remove the teabag or infuser.
• Add 2 pumps vanilla syrup and stir to dissolve.
• Steam the milk and pour it into the tea over a spoon to create layers. Serve immediately.

Notes

If working with a larger or smaller mug, keep the proportion 2 parts tea and 1 part milk. 2 pumps vanilla syrup per teabag.

The nutritional information provided at the bottom of this recipe is only meant as a guideline.

Nutrition Facts

London fog tea latte

Amount Per Serving

Calories 181 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 12mg4%

Sodium 68mg3%

Potassium 250mg7%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Sugar 30g33%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 194IU4%

Calcium 187mg19%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.