Morning fog

Andrea C-L
Nov 18, 2020
7 min read

One of the single best things for a crowded mind or cabin fever is a walk or a hike on a cold morning with a hot drink. My favorite way to enjoy a cold outdoor walk is with a hot, caffeinated drink that I can wrap my cold hands around and sip while I wake up and enjoy the early peace of the outdoors. Hands down my favorite drink to do this with is a London Fog. A London Fog is a vanilla earl grey latte, sometimes prepared with an extra pump of hazelnut syrup or vanilla. It was my standby all through high school and into college because of it's nice balance of creamy sweet and herbal flavors and its mellow caffeinated kick.

One of the things they never tell you about college (and there is a LOT) is how expensive coffee and tea can be on a college budget or on the value that students might drink it (remember to drink your water folks, it's important). When I got settled into my studies I spent my limited free time in my room when I would stretch my legs and re-fill my water bottle learning how to make some of my favorite coffee house beverages to save myself some money and some time going out for them. Since the kick off to quarantine time, it's been a real treat to be able to prepare some of my favorite luxury treats that are an irrational risk under COVID conditions. Once you have a short and simple set of basic barista skills and tools, these are quick and easy ways to get in your sugar or caffeine fix before a walk, for a hike, your morning commute or just to sip on while you get work or breakfast started.

For this recipe you're gonna need either an electric or stove-top kettle. You can also heat the water for it in a pot, in a cup in the microwave or in a pan if you you're working with limited kitchen ware or appliances. A hand-held milk frother wand, espresso steamer, small French press or a simple mason jar with a tightly sealing lid will function for getting that latte foam in the convenience of your own kitchen. You'll also need a good teaspoon (the metal kind), your preferred or the generic Earl Grey tea in bags of your choice, milk or the milk alternative of your choice, vanilla syrup and some honey or brown sugar. There's a lot of flexibility in this list, but my personal preferences after years of trial and error are double bergamot Earl Grey tea or the Bigelow box tea, light brown sugar or honey, unsweetened almond milk or if you prefer it a little on the foamier side, whole milk. And of course, a coffee mug or travel cup as well as one extra mug or ceramic microwave safe bowl for heating the dairy. I'd recommend reading all the way through before starting just because I have a habit of run-on sentences and because there are so many permutations to this recipe based on your taste and kitchen tools available. In summary, you will need: -A method of making hot water/milk, Pick (1): Kettle, microwave, stove top + stove top pot/pan -A sweetener, Pick (1): Sugar, Light Brown Sugar, Honey, Stevia etc. -A dairy or dairy alternative, Pick (1): Whole milk, almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk etc. -A frothing device or tool, Pick (1): Mason jar and lid, wand, espresso steamer, French press -Earl Grey tea in a bag, of some kind. Either get what's cheap or what you like. I don't recommend dollar store boxes unless they're brand name because they brew weaker tea, and it often results in having to use multiple bags to achieve the desired strength which totally undermines the price benefit. If possible, get a package without extra plastic packaging.

While your water is heating up, make sure you got all your ingredients sorted out and try to figure out what size cup you're working with. A standard coffee cup is usually between 8 and 10 liquid ounces. This recipe is more a practice of proportions than exact measurements, but if you have a jumbo cup or a espresso cup you might have to make some pretty hefty adjustments so that you're not wasting any of your dairy or sugar. If you only have a smaller cup, consider brewing a larger amount of tea in a bowl first so you can transfer some and save the rest for later on if it's a serious issue. It shouldn't be, but better to cover as many possible challenges as possible than leave anyone behind with an empty cup or with tea waste. Sustainability is always preferable. When your water is hot, pour about a quarter to a third of your cups total volume of hot water into the cup. The goal here is just to have enough water for the tea back to steep in and to make a concentrated brew. Brew according to box instructions or to taste. Try not to leave your tea bag in longer than 15 minutes, as it can result in a bitter taste or tangy flavor that not everyone is into.

While your tea is brewing, you're going to do the hardest part of the London Fog, the dairy and foam. If you have a microwave, simply pour half a cup or 3/4 of a cup of your milk/milk alternative into your second MICROWAVE SAFE cup and heat until warm. You don't want it to bubble over or scorch, so start in small increments of 15 seconds until you have an idea of how long it takes. If you're heating the milk on stovetop, only use medium or lower heat slowly turning it up until warm. Watch it the ENTIRE time and stir regularly with a wooden spoon. Milk burns and scalds very easily, and when it boils over it can cause a mess that could very easily disrupt your morning down time. Your first one or two times making any meal or beverage can end in this way, but we like to avoid that as often as possible. When the milk is warm, you want to froth it. The heat helps the frothing process and helps keep your end result beverage a nice warm or hot temperature for venturing outside or for holding over the cold countertop or table as you work. I'm working with the assumption that if you have an espresso machine with a steamer, that you know how to operate it or can find the specific instructions to do so on YouTube. In fact, all of these methods can be found there and I'll include some links at the end to help simplify your learning curve if you're especially new to the hot beverage game. There's no need for me to technically describe the finer points when you can watch it. Espresso or cappuccino machines are expensive and dangerous. If you don't have one, and don't plan on spending lots of time getting familiar with one, the other methods are equally effective, arguably safer and much easier to clean especially when you're trying to make a quick and easy hot beverage. The wand frothers are usually pretty inexpensive, and a mason jar is so helpful and full of utility that you'll get your money's worth a hundred times over, or likely even have one laying around. An re-purposed marinara jar (that has been very well washed) will serve this purpose adequately as well.

If you are using a French Press, simply pour the hot milk into the glass or metal beaker, and then put the lid with the press part in over the milk. You don't want to fill the press more than half way at a time, or it will overflow and potentially burn you. You'll want to have a kitchen towel or hot handle grip for holding the base of the press gently, but firmly while you sorta plunge the dairy into your desired foamy consistency (please, watch the videos. It's really much simpler and less graphic than I am making it). If you're using a mason jar, simply pour the hot/warm milk into the jar to at most half way. Again, you want room to froth, and you don't wanna burn yourself with hot milk when you open the jar. Use a hand towel or a grippy hot handle to shake the jar to avoid burns and to avoid it slipping through your fingers and causing a broken glass and scorching milk experience that could permanently scar you and your possible roommates.

Once your tea is steeped and your milk is frothed (and you've obtained enlightenment) remove the tea bag, sweeten your tea concentrate to taste and add either one pump or one two teaspoons of the vanilla syrup to your tea. If you find you like more, just add it in little by little.

Mix the tea concentrate, sweetener and syrup thoroughly before pouring your warm, frothed milk in over the tea. As a nice added touch, when I make a London Fog with a nice thick foam on top, I like to drizzle a little honey over the top or in the shape of a heart. That is essentially your London Fog. You'll get a taste and handle on your more exact preferences for making and enjoying your at home version of this classic drink, but the curve is pretty quick once the frothing is out of the way. Keep in mind, whenever you are dealing with hot liquids and especially French Presses or Cappuccino machines or cooking in the kitchen at all you run a risk of burns or cuts. Be mindful of the objects around you that are hot, only use them according to instructions or as demonstrated in the links below, and handle glass components while in use and while washing them with extreme care. My father sustained second degree burns on his chest when a glass French Press exploded over him as he pressed it and I have a close friend who put their thumb through the glass beaker of another French Press while cleaning that resulted in a cut that required 12 stitches and a lot of TLC. Even if you're trying to make something efficiently, never rush yourself in the kitchen even if you're only doing dishes. Acting calmly and mindfully results in a better and safer experience, in essence: slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Remember that getting out and walking whether its around the neighborhood, a local park or a favored hiking trail is a big part of this experience and the self investment of care. The feeling of being in cool environments and being able to warm and nourish yourself with a thoughtful beverage you made or provided someone else with can be deeply restorative and help take the cold weather edge off of winter fitness routines or slow mornings. Taking the same mindful amount of time to enjoy your beverage at home, to stretch, meditate or peacefully read can also be very beneficial and help start a busy day calmly while waking up and getting ready to focus or think critically.