What Is a London Fog? The Cozy Earl Grey Latte Born in Vancouver

If your idea of a perfect afternoon is a warm mug, a soft sweater, and something cozy that isn’t coffee, the London Fog was made for you. Tea lovers across the US and Canada keep coming back to it because it tastes like comfort in a cup: fragrant Earl Grey, sweet vanilla, and a cloud of steamed milk. And despite the name, it didn’t start in England. It started at a neighborhood café in Vancouver.

From there, the London Fog spread from café to café across Canada before Starbucks brought it to US menus in January 2009, launching it next to a Black Tea Latte and a caffeine-free Vanilla Rooibos Latte. The timing made sense, since more than 159 million Americans drink tea on any given day. Here’s everything worth knowing about this drink, from its surprising backstory to a version you can make in your own kitchen.

What Is a London Fog?

A London Fog is a tea latte made with Earl Grey tea, steamed milk, and a sweetener, usually vanilla syrup. Think of it as the tea lover’s answer to a vanilla latte: creamy, lightly sweet, and gentle on caffeine.

What’s in a London Fog

• Earl Grey tea: Black tea scented with oil from the bergamot orange, a small citrus fruit grown mostly in southern Italy. This is where the drink gets its signature aroma.
• Steamed milk: Gives the drink its body and the frothy, misty top that inspired the “fog” in the name.
• Vanilla: Usually vanilla syrup, which softens the tea’s sharper edges.
• Lavender (optional): Some cafés, including Starbucks, use an Earl Grey blend with lavender flowers for a floral finish.

What Does a London Fog Taste Like?

• Citrusy: Bergamot gives it a bright, slightly floral orange note.
• Creamy: The milk makes it smooth and round, with none of the bitterness of strong black tea.
• Sweet, but not too sweet: Vanilla adds a soft, almost dessert-like finish.
• Mellow: It’s lighter than coffee. Many people describe it as falling somewhere between a chai latte and a classic cup of tea with milk.

Why Is It Called a London Fog?

Nobody knows for sure. Even the woman credited with inventing it says she didn’t come up with the name.

The most popular theory is a mix of two things. Earl Grey has strong English roots, since it’s named after Charles Grey, Britain’s prime minister in the early 1830s. And the frothy, pale-gray milk on top looks a lot like London’s famously foggy weather. Put those together and the name sticks.

Where the London Fog Really Came From

The London Fog has a better origin story than most café drinks. It involves a pregnancy craving, a local café, and a name nobody can trace.

A Vancouver Café and a Pregnancy Craving

In the mid-1990s, Mary Loria was a regular at the Buckwheat Cafe in Vancouver. She was pregnant and dealing with severe morning sickness, which meant she couldn’t stand the smell or taste of coffee anymore.

So she asked for something different: Earl Grey tea with steamed milk and a touch of vanilla. She liked it enough to start ordering it at other cafés and recommending it to friends. The idea caught on, and before long London Fogs were showing up on café menus across Vancouver.

By the mid-2000s, the drink had become a common order in Calgary too, likely helped along by Loria’s regular family visits there. The Buckwheat Cafe has since closed, but its most famous drink is still everywhere.

Not everyone agrees on the story, though. Island Coffeehouse in Langley, Washington, has claimed it served a London Fog first, but made with peppermint tea instead of Earl Grey.

How the London Fog Made It to the US

The London Fog went mainstream in the US on January 3, 2009, when Starbucks launched a new line of Full Leaf Tazo Tea Lattes. It debuted alongside a Black Tea Latte and a Vanilla Rooibos Latte, and Starbucks described its version as black tea, bergamot, French lavender, vanilla, and steamed milk.

After Starbucks bought Teavana in 2012, the drink was renamed the Teavana London Fog Tea Latte. Today you can order it hot or iced at Starbucks locations across the US and Canada, and plenty of independent coffee shops have their own take on it.

London Fog vs. Chai Latte

These two get compared a lot because they’re both milky tea lattes and both a popular choice for people taking a break from coffee. They taste very different, though.

How a London Fog Is Made

A London Fog starts with Earl Grey tea steeped in hot water. Vanilla syrup goes in next, then steamed milk on top. The result is floral, citrusy, and smooth.

How a Chai Latte Is Made

A chai latte uses black tea brewed with warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper. Most cafés use a sweetened chai concentrate, which is mixed with steamed milk. It’s bolder, spicier, and usually sweeter.

How They Differ

	London Fog	Chai Latte
Tea base	Earl Grey (black tea + bergamot)	Spiced black tea
Flavor	Citrusy, floral, vanilla	Warm, spicy, bold
Sweetness	Light to medium	Medium to high
Calories (Starbucks grande, 2% milk)	180	240
Caffeine (Starbucks grande)	40mg	95mg
Origin	Vancouver, 1990s	India (masala chai)

Does a London Fog Have Caffeine?

Yes. Earl Grey is a black tea, so a London Fog does have caffeine, just a lot less than most coffee drinks.

Starbucks lists 40mg of caffeine for its London Fog Tea Latte. For comparison, an 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee typically has around 95mg. So a London Fog gives you a gentle lift without the jittery edge.

If you want it caffeine-free, make it at home with decaf Earl Grey or a rooibos Earl Grey blend.

London Fog Nutrition Facts

Here’s how the Starbucks London Fog Tea Latte breaks down in a grande (16 oz).

Grande (16 oz)	Hot, 2% Milk	Iced, 2% Milk	Hot, Whole Milk
Calories	180	140	210
Total fat	4g	2.5g	7g
Sugar	29g	25g	29g
Protein	7g	4g	—
Caffeine	40mg	40mg	40mg

The iced version comes in lower because ice takes up room that would otherwise be milk.

Calories by size (hot, 2% milk)

Size	Calories	Caffeine (listed)
Short (8 oz)	90	40mg
Tall (12 oz)	140	40mg
Grande (16 oz)	180	40mg
Venti (20 oz)	230	40mg

Popular London Fog Variations

Once you know the classic, there are plenty of easy ways to switch it up.

Variation	What Changes	Best For
Iced London Fog	Cold milk and ice instead of steamed milk	Warm days
Dirty London Fog	A shot of espresso added	Coffee lovers who want a bigger kick
Lavender London Fog	Lavender syrup or dried lavender added	A more floral, relaxing cup
Oat Milk London Fog	Oat milk instead of dairy	Dairy-free drinkers; oat milk froths best
Honey London Fog	Honey instead of vanilla syrup	A more natural sweetness
Rooibos London Fog	Rooibos Earl Grey instead of black tea	Caffeine-free evenings

How to Make a London Fog at Home

A café London Fog is easy to recreate at home, and you don’t need an espresso machine.

What You’ll Need

• 1 cup (8 oz) water
• 2 Earl Grey tea bags, or 2 teaspoons loose-leaf Earl Grey
• ¾ cup milk of your choice
• 1 to 2 tablespoons vanilla syrup (or 1 teaspoon sugar plus ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract)
• A milk frother

No frother? Pour hot milk into a jar with a tight lid and shake it hard for 30 seconds. A French press works too. Just pump the plunger up and down until the milk turns foamy.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Bring the water to a boil, then let it cool for a few seconds.
2. Add the tea bags and steep for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the bags.
3. Stir in the vanilla syrup.
4. Heat the milk until it’s hot and steaming, but not boiling.
5. Froth the milk until it’s light and foamy.
6. Pour the milk over the tea, spooning the foam on top.

Try It Dirty: Add a Shot of Espresso

For a Dirty London Fog, add a single shot of espresso right after the vanilla in step 3. A medium roast with chocolate or caramel notes pairs beautifully with bergamot. If you’re picking up beans for this, browse the coffee beans on Lovers Coffee and look for something smooth rather than smoky.

Tips for Getting It Right

• Brew it strong: The milk dilutes the tea, so use two tea bags instead of one.
• Don’t over-steep: Going past 5 minutes can make Earl Grey bitter.
• Watch the milk temperature: Boiling milk loses its sweetness and won’t froth as well.
• Use good tea: A quality Earl Grey with real bergamot oil makes a noticeable difference.
• Add a pinch of lavender: If you want it to taste like the Starbucks version, steep a small pinch of dried lavender with the tea.

How to Order a London Fog at Starbucks

At Starbucks, ask for a London Fog Tea Latte, hot or iced. It’s on the regular menu, so it’s easy to find in the app under hot or iced teas.

A few ways to make it your own:

• Swap the milk: Oat milk makes it extra creamy.
• Adjust the sweetness: A grande comes with 4 pumps of vanilla. Ask for 2 if you want it lighter.
• Make it dirty: Add a shot of blonde, signature, or decaf espresso.
• Order ahead: London Fogs take longer to make than most drinks because the tea has to steep, so ordering in the app saves you a wait.

Clearing Up the Fog

A London Fog is proof that some of the best café drinks come from simple ideas. What started as one pregnant woman’s coffee alternative in a Vancouver café turned into a menu staple across North America, thanks to a perfect mix of fragrant Earl Grey, sweet vanilla, and frothy steamed milk. Whether you order it at your local coffee shop, keep it iced in summer, add a shot of espresso, or make it from scratch at home, it’s one of those drinks that feels a little like a reset button in a mug.

If you want more coffee information, recipes, and seasonal coffee trends, make sure to check our blog daily and explore the Lovers.coffee marketplace for everything you need to make your moments even sweeter.