When your day starts earlier than you’d like with loud music from the upstairs neighbors or hungry kittens telling you they need to be fed, caffeine is non-negotiable.

And even though I love tea (hence the fact that I have a tea-themed blog) every now and then I need a big boost of caffeine that coffee can offer. But on a day to day basis, earl grey gets the job done. Earl grey is one of my favorite teas. I love the taste (which some have compared to fruity pebbles) as well as the calm energy it lends me when I’m feeling sluggish.

The tea is believed to be names after Charles Grey, a British aristocrat and prime minister back int he 1800s, who brought the citrus oil black tea to London as a gift for friends, according to Tea Forte.

I’ve tried a lot of different different ones, but lately I’m really enjoying Harney & Sons’ Earl Grey. They have a few different versions available, but I just have the standard one. It’s smooth, and the bergamot and black tea blend perfectly, unlike some earl greys that I found to be just a tad too bitter.

According to H&S, this is “a medium-bodied tea with a pleasant lemony flavor,” with only black tea and natural bergamot oil as the ingredients.

I like my teas and coffees extra strong when I’m seeking a caffeine boost, so I often steep longer than the suggested time, but to prepare this tea “the correct way,” here are their directions:

• Heat pot with boiling water until warm to touch. Discard that water and use one sachet for two cups of tea. Pour boiling water over satchet and steep 5 minutes.

Something I really like about this tea is not only the quality of the tea itself, but the pyramid shaped bags as well. The package is very cute as well.

This tea is also kosher, and contains 40-60 milligrams of caffeine per cup, working wonders to help me start my morning, accompanied by a bowl of cereal (with almond milk!) 🙂

What’s your favorite morning tea? Let me know in the comments below.