It may surprise you to learn that the people of Ireland drink more tea per capita than any other population on Earth. It’s true. In fact your average Irish citizen drinks about 6 cups per day. What’s more, the cups they drink are so strong that you could almost stand a spoon upright in them. Indeed, the Irish prefer what some might call a sturdy cup of tea.
Irish Breakfast tea is a full-bodied, brisk, malty brew. It is a blend of several black teas: most often Assam teas and, less often, other types of black tea. At one time there must have been a decided preference for Assam teas in Ireland but, according to James Norwood Pratt’s New Tea Lover’s Treasury, no one seems to know why.