It has been suggested that the Earl Grey blend, or "Earl Grey's Mixture", may have been named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1830s. [6] However, the fact that adding bergamot to tea was being done in a disreputable manner near the time of his death suggests that, while it is possible that the second Earl Grey encountered tea flavoured with bergamot, it seems rather unlikely that he would have championed it. [5] Nonetheless, there have been a number of theories attempting to link the tea to the earl. Bergamot orange ( Citrus bergamia) is a small citrus tree which blossoms during the winter and is grown commercially in Calabria, Italy. [20] [21] It is probably a hybrid of Citrus limetta (sweet lime) and Citrus aurantium (bitter orange). [22]

Review: Twinings Earl Grey tea". 14 April 2011. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014 . Retrieved 1 December 2014. RFLP Analysis of the Origin of Citrus Bergamia, Citrus Jambhiri, and Citrus Limonia". International Society for Horticultural Science. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012 . Retrieved 18 February 2012.Survey Results". 20 May 2010. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017 . Retrieved 15 January 2016.

Schneider, Edward (16 January 2002). "Cooking With Tea; "As for pears, I poached them in Earl Grey, a tea with impeccable prime ministerial credentials." ". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 25 July 2012 . Retrieved 13 November 2009. a b c d "Early Grey: The results of the OED Appeal on Earl Grey tea". public.oed.com/. 3 April 2013 . Retrieved 21 January 2022.Lai, Katty (18 June 2020). "BUBBLE TEA CRAZE in Southeast Asia". mise en place . Retrieved 3 August 2023. Despite the success achieved, there are still areas where the brand may improve, with poor scores for genetic modification and public record concerns. The parent firm issued a policy admitting to using certain GMOs in its goods.