Honey London Fog

While the magic transition from Summer to Fall is almost intangible day to day, the first leaves are slowly changing and scattering among the grass and roads, gardens and fields are slowing down, and there is a coolness in the air both at morning and at night. No, it cannot be denied: the first days of Autumn are here. On these chilly mornings and cool nights, a warm drink in your hands can be both practical and a luxury.

After six years of working in coffee shops and cafés (including two wonderful years as a barista in Kim’s Café, here at Weaver’s Orchard!), my all-time favorite café drink remains the London Fog. Let’s be honest, I’m a tea lover, and what could be more delightful than this rich, robust black tea infused with the elegant, tart and distinct fragrance of Bergamot? A medium caffeine level (about 50 mg caffeine) gives this tea latte a bit of a punch, while creamy milk and sweet honey balance this delicate drink well. Traditionally made with vanilla syrup, adding a tablespoon of local Stockin’s honey instead both perfectly complements the floral notes in this classic latte, and boosts your immune system as school year-germs begin to abound.

If you are also a tea lover, you are in luck! Weaver’s Orchard carries one of the best tea companies of all – Rishi. This organic direct trade tea-selector, importer, maker, and distributor based in Wisconsin features the finest teas and botanicals world-wide. Rishi’s Earl Grey tea is one of my favorites – artfully crafted with earthy, organic black tea leaves from Thailand, and real Bergamot essential oil from southern Italy’s unique Calabrian oranges. While people have enjoyed Earl Grey tea in the West since the British introduced it to Europe in the 19^th Century, you may be surprised to hear that the inception of the London Fog itself came quite recently and from our own continent, no less.

In the mid-1990’s, a café regular in Vancouver, Canada named Mary Loria wanted less caffeine than a traditional latte during her pregnancy, and so asked her barista to create this drink which became her new regular. Even after Mary stopped ordering it, the drink stuck and became a special that took off from the Buckwheat Café where it all started, and spread like wildfire! The poetic name London Fog came later from the satisfying color explosion that occurs when steamed milk splashes into the dark tea, rather than from the foggy city of London itself. Today, you can enjoy this bold yet delicate drink all year round, either hot or iced (see note below), and is the perfect companion to fresh muffins (or your favorite English novel!).

Be sure to check out the extensive Weaver’s Farm Market Rishi tea collection (located behind Kim’s Café by the coffee beans and indoor registers) next time you shop locally at Weaver’s Orchard. Cheers!

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