The most effective advertising is the unintended

[jducoeur]

It is oddly amusing to realize that my longtime fondness for Earl Grey tea almost certainly owes its origins to Star Trek: The Next Generation...

Comments

[alexx-kay.livejournal.com]

Considerably earlier than "last year". Some googling turned up the following:

The following is a paraphrase of information that appeared in the People
column of the 25 December 1994 issue of the San Jose Mercury News.

David B. Mears
Hewlett-Packard
Cupertino CA
m...@cup.hp.com
----------

Earl Grey's tea appreciate the space trip

The Sixth Earl Grey, a member of the British House of Lords and
heir to the original Earl Grey, former Bristish prime minister,
has taken notice of our beloved starship captain's penchant for
the beverage named after his ancestor. As a reward for Picard's
faithful advertisement for the beverage, the earl sent Patrick
Stewart, who plays Picard, a special commemorative tea service.

The 22-karat-gold-embellished tea service, one of only 500 made
and with an estimated value of $495, was designed by the Countess
Grey, and presented to Stewart as he entered Manhattan's Richard
Rodgers Theater where he was performing his one-man rendition of
``A Christmas Carol.'' Along with the tea service was a note
from the Earl Grey which said,

I have been interested to observe the character you
have so successfully portrayed in ``Star Trek: The
Next Generation'' has a penchant for the beverage
that bears my family name. As you have now become
one of the most famous Earl Grey tea-drinkers in
the world, I would like to take this opportunity to
present to you a ``Heritage'' Limited Edition Earl
Grey tea set to commerorate its introduction into
the U.S.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

That's the one. I heard about it last year, though. What was your name again? ;)