How To Make A London Fog

Hot tea is a perfect match for steamed milk in the very popular London Fog drink. I’ve enjoyed my tea with a splash of milk for as long as I can remember and this frothy spin takes a simple cup of tea to the next level.

My sister taught me how to make a London Fog drink while I was visiting her over the holidays several years ago. I was surprised by how easy it was and right away I knew I’d be making many more London Fogs in the future.

I was right. I came home and made this tea latte almost every night for two weeks straight. That means I can safely say that the London Fog is my favorite tea drink these days and it’s high time I share my recipe with you all.

London Fog Drink

A London Fog Latte is one of the easiest drinks you will ever make and I promise it is so much more than the sum of the ingredients.

Tea and hot milk are the essential components of a London Fog. Sweeteners or flavored syrups are a popular addition that I enjoy in my tea latte as well.

What makes this tea drink a step above the average cuppa is the step of frothing the milk before adding it to the tea.

I promise it takes hardly any effort or extra time at all. You can froth the milk in a saucepan while your tea bag steeps in boiling water so all the ingredients are ready to go into your mug at the same time.

London Fog Recipe

A traditional London Fog drink is made with Earl Grey Tea and a splash of vanilla syrup. The addition of vanilla takes the very fragrant edge off the Earl Grey.

Despite the fact that I’ve sworn hatred for the “perfume-y” Earl Grey for as long as I can remember, I really liked the traditional London Fog drinks I’ve tried. It simply works beautifully for this combination of flavors.

I typically use Sweet and Spicy Good Earth Tea for this drink when I make it at home; it is the first tea I have ever enjoyed without adding sweeteners to it. I love the flavor of this tea mixed with warm frothy milk.

My favorites aside, you can make a London Fog with any flavor or type of black tea that you already love. A strong robust black tea or blend of black teas holds up best to the hot milk. Lately, I’ve been using this Bigelow Caramel Tea and enjoying that with and without sweeteners.

London Fog Tea

I buy decaffeinated and caffeinated teas both, so that I can enjoy these in the morning as well as at night and not wind up wide awake at midnight. A cozy cup of tea and a good book in the evenings are just what I need to wind down from my day.

If the caffeine doesn’t bother you, or if you are a morning tea drinker, go for the caffeinated versions.

Sugared Shortbread Cookies and Maple Nut Scone Cookies  pair nicely with a London Fog but I also enjoy a cup of this hot tea beverage all on its own.

However you make your London Fog, I hope you love this drink every bit as much as I do!

If you like this tea drink, you might also enjoy one my recipes for Homemade Chai Tea and Pumpkin Spice Latte. Both are just as delicious, if not more so, than the specialty drinks from the coffee shop.

Pumpkin spice lovers should also give Foodie with Family’s popular Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte recipe a try. It’s a pumpkin spice latte for tea drinkers that includes real pumpkin for a sweet fall treat.

Spanish Cafe con Leche and this Iced Caramel Mocha Latte are more drink recipes you might like.

If you don’t already own a milk frother, I can’t recommend one highly enough! I use mine for lattes, frothing milk for cocoa, and for making my beloved Cafe con Leche almost every day.

It’s completely worth the investment to have a perfect layer of frothy milk on top of my tea and coffee. You won’t regret adding one to your kitchen.

This is the milk frother that I’ve been using for almost three years and I absolutely love it. (I’ve also used $3 frothers from both Ikea and World Market and they work great, though admittedly they aren’t nearly as fast or sturdy.)

How To Make A London Fog

1. Place the teabag in a mug with boiling water and allow it to steep for 5 minutes.
2. Remove the teabag, add a shot of vanilla syrup and/or sweeten the tea, as desired.
3. While the tea is steeping, heat the milk in a pan or in the microwave until steaming.
4. Use a milk frother for about 15 seconds, until the milk doubles in size and is super foamy.
5. Pour the milk and froth over the hot tea and stir gently.

{originally published 1/6/15 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/8/22}