Closest US tea to standard Irish tea?

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

Until now, my Irish friends kept me in tea supplies, but I think I need to make the leap and buy some US brand tea. I have had some standard black tea here at friends and in hotels, but it is usually very weak. I am not looking for "luxury" tea such as Earl Grey or Aasam tea, but a standard, strong black tea (similar to Barry's, Lyons or PG Tips in the UK/ Ireland) to have with milk and sugar. Comfort tea! I am looking for something I can get easily, ie in Walmart, Harps or similar. Suggestions?

[Sal and Jay 2]

Until now, my Irish friends kept me in tea supplies, but I think I need to make the leap and buy some US brand tea. I have had some standard black tea here at friends and in hotels, but it is usually very weak. I am not looking for "luxury" tea such as Earl Grey or Aasam tea, but a standard, strong black tea (similar to Barry's, Lyons or PG Tips in the UK/ Ireland) to have with milk and sugar. Comfort tea! I am looking for something I can get easily, ie in Walmart, Harps or similar. Suggestions?

Hi There

I buy liptons and use two bags per cup, which comes up to the strength we are used to. lol.

[Aubrey 10]

I buy tea from Adagio Tea online. I get get you a $5 coupon to try it if you are interested (send me a PM with your email address if so). Nothing really compares to whole leaf tea, and you really can't get that in the grocery stores. I like the "Mambo" blend black tea, but their Irish Breakfast tea is really popular, too.

The next best thing for a strong black tea is Red Label, which sometimes is found in the international/indian section of a grocery store. It is a nice strong black tea with no weird bitterness or flavors. Works great with cream and sugar.

[hxxrmonkey 0]

I really like the Tazo brand black tea called Awake. You can get that at Target, Starbucks and a lot of grocery stores. It doesn't really taste like Barry's but it's flavorful (you might want 2 bags). You could always try it once at Starbucks before you buy a box for yourself. Hubby tried it and he said it wasn't bad, which is saying something for a man devoted to Barry's.

We get our Barry's from a store called World Market, but I didn't see any in AR on the store locator. Maybe if you try your specific zip code you can find one close.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Closest I've found is Tetley British Blend. It's available nationwide. Just about everything else is either disgusting, weak or overpriced. You couldn't pay me to drink Lipton!

(I have two boxes of Barry's somewhere in the house but I can't find them -- and it drives me crazy!)

[RVP10 2]

PG Tips is widely available in and around Charlotte, NC. Not sure if it is the same as in the UK though.

[Oosie 1]

Until now, my Irish friends kept me in tea supplies, but I think I need to make the leap and buy some US brand tea. I have had some standard black tea here at friends and in hotels, but it is usually very weak. I am not looking for "luxury" tea such as Earl Grey or Aasam tea, but a standard, strong black tea (similar to Barry's, Lyons or PG Tips in the UK/ Ireland) to have with milk and sugar. Comfort tea! I am looking for something I can get easily, ie in Walmart, Harps or similar. Suggestions?

Tetley's British Blend is about the nearest thing to British/Irish tea. I get it in almost any supermarket here around Philly. I have found a few places round Philly that also stock Barry's. I've learned to carry teabags with me when I go out just to make sure I don't get stuck with a cup of dishwater.

[*Snowdrop* 604]

I haven't found anything close to normal UK tea and any of the brands from home here are so expensive. I am just making sure I bring boxes and boxes over on each trip home and anyone who visits knows they need to bring a big supply too.

[Darnell 8,478]

Ah - the pains of world travel.

Sold in Malaysia and Singapore - Lipton Yellow Label Tea - grown in Penang / Georgetown.

Can't get it in USA - but it's exactly the blend you are asking about.

BUT -

Can Get Malaysian Teh - at most larger Asian Markets - comes in a 1/2 kilo brick - is loose , no mamby-pamby tea bags.

It's the same blend, same strength - without the Lipton Label.

Yah, it's black, and strong..

I can't say where the asian markets are in Arkansas - can you jump the border, get to Dallas for a weekend ?

Warmest Regards..

Edited January 17, 2010 by Darnell

[britbird 4]

I think it's a combination of both the tea and the water being different around here that makes for a less than satisfactory cuppa.

That said, here are my 2 cents on the issue

Like others have said a variety of supermarkets do carry PG Tips: try the World Market, Safeway, Giant, Shoppers...sometimes you might have to try more multicultural areas.

I agree that the Starbucks Tazo Awake tea is a fine replacement. I also like Mighty Leaf tea (which has the added attraction of coming in a pretty tea bag and being strong enough for more than one cup). And if you are still stuck then get some Twinnings English Breakfast and you should be fine.

Hope this helps.

[xd-data-ii 0]

theres got to be an irish import shop or english one near you - get Barrys tea there.

You can order irish tea also off the internet from numerous websites.

The tetleys tea in the supermarkets seems ok.

But more importantly for me .... I cant find any sausages that come near to irish sausages. The attempts in the import stores are terrible.

I really miss Superquinn sausages.

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

Yeah know I could order online, but that is so expensive especially if you know how cheap tea is back home I'll try to find the Tetley's, definitely haven't seen PG Tips or Barry's around here so far.

[hxxrmonkey 0]

Yes xd-data-ii, I agree, the sausages are a serious shortcoming! Also I have to say the hotdogs in Ireland were tastier too. We had my husband's brother send us some purple snacks as well, mmm mmm.

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

Thanks for the suggestions! I went for a tea searching mission this weekend. Couldn't find Barry's or Tetley's anywhere around here. I found PG Tips, but in a "specialist" store, so it's 6 dollars for a carton, way too much- similarly, I know a few online British/ Irish stores, but I don't want to pay through the nose for tea.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

That's a bummer about the Tetley's because it's about $3 for a box of 90 (out here in pricey SoCal). Do you guys have a supermarket in the Kroger chain down there? Just asking because I get mine at the Kroger affiliate out here (Ralphs). It's very possible as well to ask the manager to stock it -- I have known others in the past who have done just that for other (much more bizarre) foods.