Irish Breakfast tea is a full-bodied, malty brew. It is a blend of several
black teaBlack tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the oolong, green, and white varieties.All four varieties are made from leaves of Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the species are...
s: most often
Assam teaAssam is a black tea named after the region of its production: Assam, India. Assam tea is manufactured specifically from the plant Camellia sinensis var. assamica . This tea, most of which is grown at or near sea level, is known for its body, briskness, malty flavor, and strong, bright color. Assam...
s and, less often, other types of black tea.
Some of the brands of Irish Breakfast tea include
Barry'sBarry's Tea is an Irish tea company founded in 1901 in Cork City. Until the 1960s, tea was sold from a shop in Prince's Street, but thereafter as a result of its increasing popularity, the company expanded its wholesaling and distribution operations. By the 1990s, the company had become one of...
,
Bewley'sBewley's Limited is an Irish company, established in 1840, that produces tea and coffee for sale around the world. The company is owned by Campbell Bewley Group Ltd....
,
Republic of TeaThe Republic of Tea is a company that markets organic and exotic teas from around the world. The company was founded in 1992 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler with Bill Rosenzweig after selling their interest in the original Banana Republic stores, which the Zieglers co-founded .The Republic of Tea is...
,
TwiningsTwinings is a marketer of tea based in Andover, Hampshire, England.The first of ten generations of Twinings, founder Thomas Twining opened the first known tea room, at 216 Strand, London, in 1706, still operating today. The firm's logo, created in 1787, is thought to be the world's oldest in...
,
Taylors of HarrogateYorkshire Tea is a black tea blend produced by Taylors of Harrogate, one of the few remaining family tea and coffee merchants in the United Kingdom.The company was founded in 1886 by Yorkshire tea merchant Charles Taylor...
,
Stash Tea CompanyStash Tea Company is a privately-held tea company headquartered in Tigard, Oregon, a suburb of Portland. Stash Tea originally operated out of an old Portland Victorian style house, supplying loose herbal teas and bulk herbs to natural food stores...
, Fortnum and Mason, Mark T. Wendell, Harney & Sons, and
Upton Tea ImportsUpton Tea Imports is a company based in Hopkinton, MA that sells specialty teas. The company was founded in 1989 and is owned and operated by Thomas Eck...
. All of these and many other companies create their own blends of Irish Breakfast tea.
In Ireland, it is not referred to as "Irish Breakfast tea", but simply as "tea".
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Irish Breakfast tea is a full-bodied, malty brew. It is a blend of several
black teaBlack tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the oolong, green, and white varieties.All four varieties are made from leaves of Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the species are...
s: most often
Assam teaAssam is a black tea named after the region of its production: Assam, India. Assam tea is manufactured specifically from the plant Camellia sinensis var. assamica . This tea, most of which is grown at or near sea level, is known for its body, briskness, malty flavor, and strong, bright color. Assam...
s and, less often, other types of black tea.
Some of the brands of Irish Breakfast tea include
Barry'sBarry's Tea is an Irish tea company founded in 1901 in Cork City. Until the 1960s, tea was sold from a shop in Prince's Street, but thereafter as a result of its increasing popularity, the company expanded its wholesaling and distribution operations. By the 1990s, the company had become one of...
,
Bewley'sBewley's Limited is an Irish company, established in 1840, that produces tea and coffee for sale around the world. The company is owned by Campbell Bewley Group Ltd....
,
Republic of TeaThe Republic of Tea is a company that markets organic and exotic teas from around the world. The company was founded in 1992 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler with Bill Rosenzweig after selling their interest in the original Banana Republic stores, which the Zieglers co-founded .The Republic of Tea is...
,
TwiningsTwinings is a marketer of tea based in Andover, Hampshire, England.The first of ten generations of Twinings, founder Thomas Twining opened the first known tea room, at 216 Strand, London, in 1706, still operating today. The firm's logo, created in 1787, is thought to be the world's oldest in...
,
Taylors of HarrogateYorkshire Tea is a black tea blend produced by Taylors of Harrogate, one of the few remaining family tea and coffee merchants in the United Kingdom.The company was founded in 1886 by Yorkshire tea merchant Charles Taylor...
,
Stash Tea CompanyStash Tea Company is a privately-held tea company headquartered in Tigard, Oregon, a suburb of Portland. Stash Tea originally operated out of an old Portland Victorian style house, supplying loose herbal teas and bulk herbs to natural food stores...
, Fortnum and Mason, Mark T. Wendell, Harney & Sons, and
Upton Tea ImportsUpton Tea Imports is a company based in Hopkinton, MA that sells specialty teas. The company was founded in 1989 and is owned and operated by Thomas Eck...
. All of these and many other companies create their own blends of Irish Breakfast tea.
In Ireland, it is not referred to as "Irish Breakfast tea", but simply as "tea". It is enjoyed throughout the day and evening. The Irish brands, such as Lyons and Barry's, are heavily weighted toward Assam.
Most commonly, Irish Breakfast tea is drunk with milk, but some prefer to drink it straight or with lemon or sugar.