Enter the Europeans in the early 17th century. The Dutch were the first to bring tea from China back to Europe. It took a while to catch on, but gradually tea became a luxurious drink among the upper classes and aristocrats in France and Great Britain. Eventually, it made an appearance to the general public in coffeehouses in Europe and the American colonies. Much like in Japan, tea in Europe started to take on its own unique character. Europeans saw tea time as a social activity. They shifted away from green tea in favor of black tea, and began adding sugar, milk, and sometimes lemon to their cups.