The earl grey from Harrod’s is distinctly better than the earl grey that came in a piggy bank tin painted like a double decker bus. The flavor is more delicate and refined and the caffeine doesn’t give me a rude jolt. It is especially good with the juice of one quarter of a lemon. The brand is Fortnum and Mason.
For the mega-jolt, I have ordered some meth coffee. Yes, it is as pyscho as it sounds and you can read about it here. It is basically spiked coffee beans; spiked with every possible thing known to give energy. I need it for the last few miles of the thesis.
On the de-caf end, I tried Yerba Mate this morning – two cups. Tastes okay, and I thought I noticed a small increase in energy, but I’m not sure. I finally broke down and made myself some earl grey.
I also bought some Unplugged Tea, which is also caffeine-free, but contains wicked sounding ingredients like damiana and skullcap. It is made by a local artisan Jenny Q. (1-800-933-3197) She warns that “too much of this tea can put you in a different realm.” I like the sound of that.
And for about twenty varieties of caffeine candies, drinks, etc, check out thinkgeek.com.