Let me paint you a picture: it’s a chilly October day on campus, just below 60 degrees. I’m wearing my favorite fall sweater and it’s keeping me warm as I walk through the quad from class, feeling the crisp autumn air. I can see the breeze blowing through the yellow and orange colored trees and hear it moving through the wind chimes which clang together as I walk into Buntrock Commons. Buntrock is busy with students just getting done with their last class of the afternoon and the line for the cage begins to form.
I join the line, deciding to treat myself to my favorite fall drink to enjoy while I start homework in a comfy blue reference room chair. Once I have my order, I wait for it to cool while walking to the library and I take that first sip just before digging into my reading. The creamy, smooth drink has a comforting, sweet smell and the fall taste of spices and vanilla with hints of bergamot and other bitter citrus flavors. With every sip, I feel like my perfect fall day is complete.
This perfect fall drink is the London Fog. If you are unfamiliar with the London Fog, it is made from steeped Earl Gray tea, steamed, frothy milk, and vanilla syrup. Sometimes honey is added or other syrups to change or enhance the flavor, enabling you to make the drink your own.
I discovered London Fogs last year after a recommendation from a friend, and I have fallen in love with this drink. I prefer the London Fog served hot, which is most common, but you can order them iced as well. I also order mine with oat milk to add extra sweetness but they are versatile and can be enjoyed with any kind of milk. The versatility also extends to the best time of day to drink a London Fog. Because they have a smaller amount of caffeine than the Earl Gray tea — 40-50 milligrams, less than a cup of coffee — they can be enjoyed in the morning for a calm boost to get your day started, in the afternoon as a pick me up, or at night to get through the last few assignments without keeping you awake when you finally get to bed.
For these reasons, the classic and simple London Fog is the perfect fall drink. It has replaced the pumpkin spice latte as my more mature drink of choice for the fall season. They have that comforting, spiced taste familiar in the pumpkin spice latte, but with a better balance between the sweetness and the boldness of the tea. As one of the most affordable drinks on the cage menu, I recommend that everyone, even those who don’t like tea, try the London Fog this fall.
