Back in the US, and feeling it strongly now that I am on yet another college campus, I have noticed the dearth of good tea among US cafes. Starbucks sells Tazo or Republic of Tea, which is good tea for sure, but there' s something about adding cold-thermosed milk to a lightly brewed cup of Earl Grey that sours the whole experience (pun intended).
Therefore, I have begun to miss my Wright's Bar tea.
Wright's Bar is on the LSE campus just off Kingsway, in the Holborn neighborhood of London. I am telling you these directions because it is a great place to get a cheap, quick cup of tea on your way down the Strand to see Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, Buckingham Palace, etc. Obviously those things are important, but stop by for a cup of tea first.
Wright's Bar tea is 45 p (that's right, folks, less than 1 USD), is fresh-brewed and black, and can be requested with milk and sugar. And when I say milk and sugar, I mean hot milk and a huge scoop of sugar. Somehow, the product is not sickly sweet or disgusting, but comforting in the winter, caffeinating in the spring and summer, and generally a great way to spend your next 45 p.
Okay, so it's not the classiest tea joint in town, but I have a spot in my heart for this tea, and always will have. More importantly, I propose the following for American cafes: what can be learned from this experience? Not just for tea, but for coffee too?
Having partaken of plenty of coffee/tea since I was old enough to imbibe caffeine (and not get so jittery I had to be put down for a nap), I know the following:
1) a good hot drink is just that. HOT. I will not TELL you how many times I've gotten a Caramel Macchiato, or a Chai Tea Latte (don't even get me STARTED on how redundant that name is), and the drink is just not hot enough. Meaning, I have to drink it within 30 seconds to make sure it's just as hot at the end as the beginning. This was never a problem with Wright's Bar tea.
2) So, steam the milk for goodness' sake! And if a customer is requesting a hot cup of tea, maybe the cafe could offer them some hot milk instead of the cold thermos? (which, by the way, I'm convinced makes the milk sour? I mean, they sit out all day people.)
...Next time, I'm just going to ask for some hot milk. I'll report back and let you know what happens.
In the meantime, go to London. While there, have tea at Wright's Bar. Also, you could probably stop by The Wolseley or Harrod's for an actual sophisticated tea if you like. But don't blame me if you like Wright's Bar better.
*** More on London tea joints coming soon!
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