How to Make Starbucks Medicine Ball

When you are under the weather, there is nothing like herbal teas a little honey and lemon; those warm liquids soothe a sore throat. This copycat Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea Recipe is just what you need to warm your soul and soothe your throat, a super cold buster.

Delicious and fragrant Jade Citrus Mint and Peach Tranquility herbal tea are mixed with lemonade and honey is the best Starbucks tea for sore throat — now you can make it a thome!

Pair this throat soothing tea with a hearty and healthy serving of Easy Chicken Noodle Soup or maybe you feel like some Easy Italian Wedding Soup or Homemade Tomato Soup.

And if you are looking for a collection of immune-boosting recipes for cold and flu season, then try my homemade Elderberry syrup, this rich, soothing beef bone broth and my Magic Mineral Broth. These can all be made ahead of time, so they are ready for you when a cold hits.

What is a Medicine Ball Drink?

The Medicine ball tea recipe is from Starbucks and used to be on their secret menu, but the word got out and now you can order this drink at Starbucks.

Also called the cold buster, some customers will ask for an optional pump of peppermint syrup for extra flavor, but in my opinion that just adds unwanted sugar, and refine sugar is a bacteria breeder, not prohibitor.

If you love this recipe, you will adore my Starbucks Peach Green Tea Lemonade and this Starbucks White Hot Chocolate.

You won’t find this on their regular menu. Instead, it’s long been on the Starbucks secret menu (only Starbucks’s baristas knew about it), but the word is out, and it is the best Starbucks tea for sore throats. This copycat recipe is like the Starbucks version, made with minty lemon verbena and peach tea bags.

It is a medicine bomb hot drink made with local honey and pantry ingredients, in the comfort of your own home.

Medicine Ball Tea Starbucks Ingredients

• Lemonade | Hot lemonade is the “secret” ingredient in this recipe. Use your favorite lemonade, I love Simply Lite Lemonade. *See my notes in variations for how to make the tea recipe without lemonade using fresh lemons.
• Filtered Water | Heat the water for your tea in a tea kettle, in the microwave, or on the stovetop. Filtered water is best, more pure; healthier.
• Peach Tranquility Tea | A bag of Peach Tranquility tea is the brand I use for a fruity herbal tea flavor. Each tea bag contains apples, rose hips, candied pineapple, chamomile flowers, peach, licorice root, lemon verbena, chamomile pollen, and natural flavor. One of the best Starbucks teas.
• Jade Citrus Mint Green Tea | Teavana teas contains green tea, spearmint, lemon verbena and lemongrass and natural flavor. Is jade citrus mint tea good for you? Yes, besides sipping on a warm beverage, green tea is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.
• Honey | If you can, get your hands on local honey, it packs a better punch to your immune system. Go with raw, unfiltered, honey, you can use a packet of honey for travel or honey straight from the bear.

How to Make Starbucks Sick Tea

Pull out your kettle and favorite teacup and sip this delightful Starbucks Copycat Medicine Ball Tea in just a few minutes.

Step 1 | Heat the Lemonade

Starting with lemonade may be a surprise, but it is the best way to make this recipe quickly – and it turns out just right! You can use regular or light lemonade. I like Simply Lite Lemonade, made with Stevia, thereby reducing the overall grams of sugar.

Heat the lemonade in a frother or on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot and simmering. 

Step 2 | Brew the Best Starbucks Tea for Sore Throat

While the lemonade is heating, pour 8 ounces of just simmered hot water. You can simmer on the stove or in a glass measuring cup in the microwave. Then add one peach tranquility tea bag, allowing it to brew for 5 minutes. 

Now, set a timer because, in only 2-3 minutes, you will add your tea bag of Citrus mint tea. 

When time is up, promptly remove tea bags and squeeze to get all the good stuff out.

Step 3 | Combine the Flavors

It is time to stir in your honey of choice to taste. Pour in the hot lemonade and gently stir to combine all the soothing flavors profiles.

Top your teacup with a thin slice of fresh lemon and a gorgeous sprig of fresh mint. 

Wrap your hands around the warm mug and sip immediately!

Even if you feel just fine, this honey citrus mint tea is a treat anytime. With just five simple ingredients, this recipe is easy to make and convenient with ingredients found in your regular grocery store. My hunch is you’ll find this is the best Starbucks tea for sore throat – at home!

Medicine Ball Recipe Variations and Substitutions

• Sugar-free – If no sugar is desired, omit the lemonade and instead use ½ – 1 juiced lemon with two tablespoons of honey or maple syrup.
• Since honey is known for its soothing and healing properties, it’s best. However; a sugar substitute is okay, too, try using all-natural Stevia or Monk Fruit – but honey is one of the main ingredients in this tea concoction to soothe the throat, for vegans use pure maple syrup.
• Minty Flavor – Add a sprig or two of fresh mint while heating the water or lemonade, or add a few drops of peppermint extract.
• Teavana Tea Bags – This brand is the one used in the medicine ball recipe from the Starbucks menu. However, there are plenty of herbal peach tea and minty good different teas out there to choose from.
• Alternative Teas | If you can’t find Teavana, try this Tazo Zen tea (also a mint green tea), or if you are avoiding caffeine altogether, try this Tazo RefreshMint or any mint tea. To replace the peach tea, try this Tazo Peachy Green tea or this Celestial Seasonings Peach tea.

More Soothing Tea Recipes for You

• Turmeric and Ginger Tea | Soothing, relaxing, flavorful, make with dairy based milks or plant-based, you’ll be so glad you tried it!
• Homemade Chai Tea Latte | A long time favorite and popular recipe on the blog!
• Golden Milk Turmeric Tea Spice Mix | this is excellent for when you are run down, feeling anxious or stressed and need a good immune boost. It’s also great to give as a gift.
• Bulletproof Coffee | okay so it’s not a tea, but it will warm you from the inside out and is so good!

So the next time cold symptoms hit, make yourself some of this “sick tea” and feel better, quicker.

More Copycat Recipes

• Copycat Panera Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
• Starbucks White Hot Chocolate Recipe
• Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe {The Best}
• Orange Scones (Panera Copycat)
• Crumbl Sugar Cookie Recipe

I hope you loved learning how to make the best Starbucks tea for sore throat — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!