You know what? That Earl Grey black tea, always hear folks talking ’bout it. They say it’s some fancy tea. I don’t know ’bout fancy, but I do drink it sometimes. My neighbor, she gave me some once, said it was good for me. So, I tried it. Not bad, I guess. But it got me thinking, does this stuff have that caffeine kick? Like coffee, you know? I gotta watch that, you see. Doctor said, “No too much caffeine, it’s not good for the old ticker.”

So, I asked around, and everyone’s got a different story. Some say it’s got a lot, some say it’s got a little. It’s like asking how many beans are in a jar, you ain’t never gonna get the same number twice. But I hear that the amount of caffeine can change. You know, like how some days are hotter than others, even if it’s summer time.

This Earl Grey tea, they make it with that black tea, the dark kind. And then they put some kind of oil in it, bergamot oil, they call it. Smells kinda like those oranges, but not exactly. I guess that’s what makes it “Earl Grey.” Anyways, how much of that oil they put in, and what kind of black tea they use, it all changes how much of that caffeine is gonna be in your cup.

Now, I heard that if you take a regular cup, you know, the kind you drink your water from, about eight ounces they call it, that much Earl Grey tea probably has about 50 of them… what do you call them? Milligrams? Yeah, 50 milligrams of caffeine. That’s what I heard, anyways. Seems like a lot of numbers to me. I just know that my neighbor drinks it every day, and she say it give her a little lift in the morning.

They say coffee, that black gold, has more of that caffeine. Like, maybe 80 of those milligrams in the same size cup. So, I guess Earl Grey ain’t as strong as coffee. That’s good, I suppose. Don’t need to be bouncing off the walls like a young’un. My old bones can’t take it!

• Black tea, they say it’s got a little less caffeine than this Earl Grey.
• But both of ’em got less than coffee, that’s for sure.
• If you drink it at night, it might keep you up.
• I don’t drink it too late, ’cause I like my sleep!

Some folks, they’re real sensitive to that caffeine. Even a little bit can make ’em jittery. Me, I can handle a bit, but not too much. I remember one time, I drank too much coffee at a church social. Lordy, I was wired! Couldn’t sit still for nothing. Learned my lesson that day, I tell ya.

Now, they did some kind of study, I heard. Gave folks a whole bunch of caffeine, like 400 of those milligrams, at different times before bed. They found out that if you have it too close to bedtime, you won’t sleep as good. Makes sense, right? Like eating a whole pie before bed, you’re gonna be tossing and turning all night.

They say that Earl Grey tea has anywhere from 40 to 120 of those milligrams in a cup. So it’s different every time, maybe, because depends on how they make it, I reckon. It is all a bit much for me, all these numbers. I just know that the amount of caffeine in Earl Grey black tea can change depending on the tea and the oil, just like the weather.

And about this tea being healthier than coffee thing. Well, I don’t know about all that. They both seem to do the trick, get you going in the morning. But I guess if you’re drinking too much of that caffeine, it ain’t good for you, no matter where it’s coming from. Gotta watch that, you know. Too much of anything ain’t good, that’s what my mama always said. That is the true thing.

So, if you’re worried about that caffeine, maybe this Earl Grey tea is a little better than coffee. But really, just listen to your body. If it’s telling you to slow down, then you better slow down. That’s the best advice I can give you. That, and always share your tea with your neighbors. It’s just the right thing to do!