Versailles Lavender Earl Grey pairs high-grown Ceylon black tea with French Provence blue lavender, cornflower petals and bergamot, giving it a floral cup that's less orange-and-spice than a standard Earl Grey and more lavender-forward. Expect a coppery-ruby, light-toned liquor and a smooth finish that carries floral, citrus and bergamot notes over a malty black tea base, with a sweet, refreshing aftertaste.
Earl Grey's own history is murkier than the name suggests. Most versions are built on Chinese black tea rather than Ceylon, and China — not England — is generally considered the drink's true home. The bergamot scenting is thought to have started as a practical fix: coating black tea leaves in the oil to guard against mould during long sea voyages. The tale of the tea's name is even shakier. One story has the 19th-century Prime Minister Charles Grey, the Second Earl Grey, saving a boy from drowning during a diplomatic trip to China, after which the boy's grateful father gifted him bergamot-scented tea leaves. It's a nice story, but Earl Grey never actually traveled to China, so most historians treat it as invention. A second theory credits his wife, Lady Mary Elizabeth Grey, with popularizing the blend at her parties and later asking London tea merchants to recreate it for her — plausible, but no better documented than the first.
Brew this one with freshly boiled water for three to five minutes. Tea & Coffee recommends drinking it black rather than with milk, though milk is an option if you prefer it that way.
