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I was having a chat with one of my friends and sipping tea at the same time.
He asked me, "what are you doing?" And I replied, "I am drinking tea". It was around 11 in the morning. He said "what an English".
Please let tell me if this usage is correct in the context of US and Canadian English.
Perfect English grammar in worldwide use. Sounds like your friend may have meant "what an English person you are!" because tea drinking is a stereotype of us English. Many people think the English love tea... and it might be true.
It's also worth noting that if you say "I am having tea" people might think you mean the meal also called tea in the UK.
The search on COCA shows following results:
Taking tea - 26
Having tea - 43, &
Drinking tea - 174.
Clearly, ...drinking tea is correct. Nevertheless, I think it's not a good practice to offer drinking of tea to the visitors.
Will you drink tea? - Incorrect.
Will you take/have tea? - Correct.
On the other hand, offering liquor comes as a drink.
Will you take a drink?
Also, when the case is about a soft-drink, you say:
I'm having or taking a soft drink. (Note: COCA shows one result of 'drinking a soft-drink' from Christian Science Monitor)
He asked me, "What are you doing?" And I replied, "I am drinking tea." It was around 11 in the morning. He said "what an English."
To my (American) ear, the first three sentences sound natural and grammatically correct. This use of "And" at the beginning of a sentence is informal. Many American English teachers consider it to be incorrect, but it is quite natural when recounting a conversation.
I did correct two features of the punctuation:
The fourth sentence sounds incorrect to me. I would expect:
He said, "How English."
I would interpret his reaction as being a commentary on what you were doing "around 11 in the morning", and not as a commentary on your dialect. Americans are more likely to drink coffee than tea.
I am drinking tea
is a perfectly acceptable and grammatical sentence. Tea is a beverage, you drink it. It is moreover very common to have a tea break mid-morning. You could have also said,
I am having a cup of tea
Which sounds awfully British, and quite refined.
If instead you have renounced the ancient art of brewing loose tea in a teapot, and like me are now dropping a single tea bag in a chipped mug, filled with freshly boiled water, and waiting exactly one minute before fishing it out with your teaspoon, then say:
I'm having some tea.
If you say this before 4 p.m people will always understand the beverage. If you say this from 4 p.m and onwards, some British folk might think you are having a light meal, indulging yourself with Devon scones and lashings of clotted cream and jam. But only a few people. People rarely do that sort of thing at home nowadays, it's more likely a couple of rich tea biscuits, or if you're lucky, chocolate digestives. Mmmm....
EDIT
The friend who commented “What an English …” didn't get to finish their phrase, for whatever reason, they probably meant: “What an English thing to do”
However, if “What an English” was indeed the complete statement, then he or she was at fault. English is both an adjective and a noun, but when it is used to refer to the people of England the definite article is normally used
The English, e.g. The English are a nation of tea guzzlers, every day they drink a 165 million cups.
If referring to the language, the article is not needed, e.g.; English is the third most widely spoken language in the world today.
Then there is the third meaning, english—note the small letter—which is the spin on a cricket ball.
From the context, it is clear that neither of these three meanings were being used.
You are right to say "I am drinking tea.' It is similar to "I am drinking coffee, orange juice, water etc.' I think when your friend said 'What an English!', he meant why (the reason) you drank tea at this time of the day because the English do not drink tea at this time. Tea is a popular drink in English life. There is a story about a fight between England and Scotland. Both have habits (or customs) of drinking tea by the evening. When tea time came, they stopped fighting, got back to their tents and drank tea. After tea, they kept on fighting.
