The Secret of the Silver Bergamot
ATall Tale from The Tea House on Los Rios
There is a curious legend whispered in the gardens behind the San Juan Capistrano Mission, passed down in hushed voices among the orange blossoms and ivy-covered adobe walls. It is not a ghost story, though the town has many of those, but something stranger still: a story of tea, diplomacy, and a mystery that spans centuries and continents. It is said that the original blend of Earl Grey tea, long believed to have been born in the drawing rooms of British aristocracy, was first tasted not in London, but in a small riverside cottage in what would one day become California.
Let me tell you what really happened.
In the spring of 1831, a British trader named Captain Horatio Finch stepped off a weather-beaten brig at the San Juan Bay. Officially, he was bound for trade with the Californios, bringing textiles, ink, and British goods in exchange for hides and tallow. But hidden beneath the false bottom of a polished wooden tea chest was something far more precious: a small silver tin marked only with a mysterious "TH" stamp with the word "fragrance" and sealed with turquoise wax.
Finch had acquired it from a merchant in Canton who claimed it was a special gift from a diplomat in China, one made in gratitude to an English statesman whose name the merchant did not know how to pronounce. The blend was black tea scented with the oil of a strange citrus fruit, bergamot, the merchant called it.
The tea, the merchant said, was meant for a man named Charles. Charles Grey.
Finch had planned to deliver the tea to England, but storms had other ideas. Weeks of hardship at sea ended in an unexpected landing near Alta California. With little money and even less crew, Finch made his way north, eventually arriving in the small village of San Juan Capistrano.
Back then, the Los Rios District was little more than a dirt path lined with adobe homes, fruit trees, and hummingbirds. But even in its simplicity, it had an almost otherworldly charm. Finch found lodging in a small cottage, now home to The Tea House on Los Rios, located at 31731 Los Rios St. in San Juan Capistrano, CA. The home belonged to a local woman named Doña Isabela Ruiz, a healer and herbalist whose garden rivaled Eden itself.
Isabela welcomed Finch with quiet kindness. When he fell ill with fever brought on by the journey, she brewed him teas from her herbs: lemon verbena, sage, wild chamomile. One day, while he recovered in the shade of a sycamore tree, he presented her with the mysterious silver tin.
"This," he said, "is meant for an earl. But I think you’ll appreciate it more."
She opened it. The aroma struck her instantly, black tea, bold and smooth, softened by the scent of sunlit citrus. She steeped the leaves in hot water drawn from the village well. The moment the water met the leaves, a scent filled the room that stopped time itself.
She called it el té del perfume plateado, the tea of the silver perfume.
Over the next few months, Isabela shared the tea only with those she deemed deserving: travelers with kind hearts, the village priest, a young girl who had just lost her mother. Each cup was said to bring clarity, calm, and in some cases, visions.
Word of the tea spread. Pilgrims on the El Camino Real began to ask about it. Even the padres at the San Juan Mission were rumored to brew it before morning prayers. But just as its popularity grew, Captain Finch disappeared.
Some say he returned to England. Others say he was taken by the sea.
But the tin remained.
And so did the recipe.
Years passed. Then decades.
The town changed. Adobe gave way to clapboard. Horses gave way to trains.
And in the 1990s, another woman, Claudia Niccola, walked through the gates of the Los Rios cottage. Her daughter had taken her to tea in another town, and the experience had stayed with her: the pace, the conversation, the beauty of it all. Claudia, a NICU nurse by trade, longed to bring that feeling home.
With her husband Allan, she lovingly restored the house and planted a garden full of lavender, roses, and sweet peas. She played soft music. She set out real china. She welcomed guests. She called it The Tea House on Los Rios.
In the back room, tucked away behind linen aprons and mismatched teacups, she found a small silver tin. Empty. But the scent of bergamot still lingered.
She smiled.
"Let’s make tea."
Today, The Tea House on Los Rios serves more than just tea. It offers a place to connect, to slow down, to breathe. Whether you're visiting for brunch, lunch, or a Seasonal Tea Experience, we invite you to sit beneath the trees and discover something beautiful, something unexpected.
Yes, we serve alcoholic beverages, including our "Lady Grey" cocktail made with our Earl Grey tea. It’s become a guest favorite. And yes, our tea is loose leaf, steeped with care in every pot.
If you’re wondering how to brew it at home, here’s our simple guide:
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- Heat your water (around 200°F for black tea).
- Use 1 tsp of loose leaf tea per 8oz cup.
- Place tea in an infuser or teapot.
- Pour hot water over the leaves.
- Steep for 3–5 minutes.
- Strain and enjoy.
It’s that easy.
In 2011, a descendant of the Grey family visited California. Richard, the sixth Earl Grey, was known for endorsing a particular brand of Earl Grey tea, but his travels were discreet. While staying at a vineyard in Temecula, he heard whispers of a tea house in a tiny town where bergamot hung in the air and loose leaf tea was steeped with reverence.
He took the train south.
He stepped off at the San Juan Capistrano station and walked across the tracks.
He entered The Tea House on Los Rios and ordered a pot of Earl Grey.
He took one sip.
"This," he said softly, "tastes like home."
He never confirmed whether the original recipe was indeed tied to this place. But before he left, he signed the guest book.
"To the keepers of the silver bergamot. May your cups never run dry."
The Tea House on Los Rios
Building Relationships One Cup at a Time
31731 Los Rios St, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Learn more about our loose leaf tea, Earl Grey tea, Cream of Earl Grey, and how to brew loose leaf tea on our website. We invite you to explore our collection, visit us in person, or book a tea experience you'll never forget. Because sometimes, the best stories aren’t written in books.They’re poured, steeped, and shared, one cup at a time.
