Starbucks Medicine Ball

This Starbucks medicine ball recipe is something you can find on the starbucks secret menu. It’s sometimes referred to as the “Cold Buster” and is now officially on the menu as Honey Citrus Mint Tea. This is an ultra comforting hot drink for when you’re feeling stuffy from a cold or need something to soothe an off-feeling stomach. It’s a must during flu season but honestly, I also love this drink even when I’m feeling great—it’s delicious!

While it’s great to order this at Starbucks if you’re out and about, I like making it at home even more as you can use fresh herbs and customize the flavor and sweetness level to your liking.

Related– more Starbucks copycat recipes: London Fog drink, Pink Drink, Paradise Drink, Mango Dragon Fruit Refresher, Strawberry Acai Refresher, Egg White Bites and homemade Frappuccino.

Ingredients

• Hot Water
• Lemonade bottled or made from a mix
• Mint Tea Any type of mint or spearmint tea. Starbucks specifically uses Jade Citrus Mint green tea. 
• Peach Tea Starbucks uses Peach Tranquility tea. Any type of peach tea will work great. 
• Honey or agave. 
• Lemon freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Mint fresh mint leaves.

If you want a no-sugar added option for the lemonade, I recommend using water and True Lemon, which is simply crystalized lemon. I like adding this to drinking water, too.

What does Medicine Ball taste like?

The Medicine Ball (officially known as Honey Citrus Mint Tea on the Starbucks menu) tastes like a warm, sweet citrus and mint tea drink.

How to make Starbucks Medicine Ball Drink

To a large mug, add the lemonade mix, tea bags, honey, lemon slices, and mint leaves.

Heat the water to around 200°F (93°C) and pour into the mug. This will likely mix the honey and lemonade mix, but if you see any give the mixture a few stirs with a spoon to mix everything together well.

Allow to the tea to steep in hot water for 3-4 minutes. Sip as soon as it’s cool enough to enjoy. This also smells amazing in addition to being delicious.

Tips for Making

• If you are using pre-made (bottled) lemonade instead of water and a mix, you should heat the lemonade along with the water in this recipe.
• Honey can be soothing for a sore throat, but if you want to avoid all added sugars you can skip it or use less than this recipe calls for.
• While peach tea makes this Medicine Ball recipe more like the Starbucks version, you can use other fruit herbal teas if you prefer, like orange, pineapple, lemongrass, lemon verbena or chamomile.
• If you use herbal teas your drink will be caffeine-free. Of course, if you prefer the added caffeine, be sure to choose teas that contain caffeine. You could use or add a green tea bag for some anti-inflammatory properties.

How to Order a Starbucks Medicine Ball

The Medicine Ball started out as a secret menu item. If you you want to order this drink at Starbucks the official menu name for it is Honey Citrus Mint Tea. If you are about to order and you can’t remember that name, don’t stress. Most baristas at Starbucks recognize the name Medicine Ball as that is how the drink originated.

Benefits of Starbucks Medicine Ball

• A hot beverage is good for coughs as they can help sooth soreness
• Honey is also good for sore throats and coughs as it can help sooth soreness
• Lemon contains vitamin C and antioxidants — both can boost your immune system.
• Mint can help with digestive health as well as with allergies.
• Given this beverage does not contain caffeine you can drink this anytime of day or night; and being well hydrated has many health benefits.

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4.95 from 37 votes

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Get the Recipe

an herbal tea mixture that can soothe a sore throat

Yield 1

Prep 5 minutes mins

Total 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lemonade mix
• ▢ 1 mint tea bag
• ▢ 1 peach tea bag
• ▢ 2 teaspoons honey
• ▢ ½ lemon
• ▢ 5 mint leaves

Instructions

• To a large mug, add the lemonade mix, tea bags, honey, lemon slices, and mint leaves.
• Heat the water to around 200°F (93°C) and pour into the mug.
• This will likely mix the honey and lemonade mix but if you see any give the mixture a few stirs with a spoon to mix everything together well.
• Allow to steep for 3-4 minutes.
• Sip as soon as it’s cool enough to enjoy. This also smells amazing in addition to being delicious.

Notes

If you are using pre-made (bottled) lemonade instead of water and a mix, you should heat the lemonade along with the water in this recipe. You can use 1 cup water and 1 cup lemonade.

Honey can be soothing for a sore throat, but if you want to avoid all added sugars you can skip it or use less than this recipe calls for.

While peach tea makes this Medicine Ball recipe more like the Starbucks version, you can use other fruit herbal teas if you prefer, like orange, mango or raspberry.

If you want a no-sugar added option for the lemonade, I recommend using water and True Lemon, which is simply crystalized lemon.

© Author Emma Chapman

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keywords tea

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Starbucks Medicine Ball

Amount per Serving

Calories

99

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

0.3

g

0

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.03

g

0

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

0.01

g

Sodium

 

32

mg

1

%

Potassium

 

125

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

 

27

g

9

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

22

g

24

%

Protein

 

1

g

2

%

Vitamin A

 

225

IU

5

%

Vitamin C

 

34

mg

41

%

Calcium

 

43

mg

4

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.