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Tea recipe · Earl Grey

Earl Grey Strong Cordial Base

A bergamot cordial that holds its strength: a bold Earl Grey syrup for a hot cup, an iced long drink, a martini base, or brushing onto cake.

  • Prep 15 min
  • Makes about 500ml
  • Easy
Earl Grey · recipe card
At a glance Updated 15 Feb 2026
Teapigs Earl Grey Strong, 15 Tea Bags 37.5g, Black Tea, Teapigs Limited. Sold by Teas.co.uk.
6Steps
5Ingredients
£5.60The tea
14In this section
Made withTeapigs Earl Grey Strong, 15 Tea Bags 37.5g
The recipe

Exact quantities, then the method.

An Earl Grey Strong cordial is a bergamot syrup with proper backbone. Because it's made from the bolder blend, it holds its own when you stretch it, over ice, in a cocktail, or brushed onto a sponge, where most tea cordials just go weak and watery.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Earl Grey Strong Cordial Base recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/earl-grey/earl-grey-strong-cordial-base/

It uses Teapigs Earl Grey Strong, a bold whole-leaf bergamot Black Tea. Fifteen minutes, and it makes about 500ml.

⏱ 15 min 🍽 Makes about 500ml 📊 Easy 📚 Earl Grey Recipes

You'll need

  • 6 Teapigs Earl Grey Strong tea temples
  • 400ml water
  • 250g caster sugar
  • Pared zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 1 strip of lemon zest

Method

  1. Boil the water, add the 6 temples and steep 4 minutes only, then lift them out; a strong blend gives plenty of body in 4 minutes without bitterness.
  2. Return the brew to the pan with the sugar and the orange and lemon zest, and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Simmer gently 5 minutes to a syrup that coats the back of a spoon, then stir in the orange juice and take off the heat.
  4. Cool, strain out the zest, and pour into a clean bottle.
  5. Hot cup: 1 part base to 4 parts just boiled water. Iced: 1 part base, 4 parts cold soda. It also makes a strong Earl Grey martini base, or a brush for sponge cakes.
  6. Keeps 2 weeks in the fridge; shake before use.
What you'll end up with: A glossy bergamot and orange cordial that keeps its strength however you stretch it: hot cup, iced long drink, Earl Grey martini or cake brush. Keeps a fortnight.

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