How To Make Starbucks Medicine Ball At Home

The Starbucks Honey Citrus Mint Tea, previously known by the moniker "Medicine Ball" when it was created in 2016, is a mixture of two types of tea, lemonade, and honey. Despite having no official medicinal properties, the sweet and fruity drink is said to help alleviate sore throats and congestion, which makes sense due to the well-known soothing properties of both honey and hot tea. 

Historically, Starbucks used one bag of the Jade Citrus Mint tea and one bag of the Peach Tranquility tea from Teavana to make the drink. However, according to a Reddit thread, they're reportedly now just using two bags of chamomile mint blossom tea along with the usual steamed lemonade and honey. If you buy it from the chain, it'll cost you between $3.65 and $4.95 before tax, depending on size. But to avoid going out to pick up a Starbucks order when you're feeling under the weather (your baristas will thank you!) and to sip on a hot drink more reminiscent of the original Medicine Ball, you can learn to make it at home. 

Unfortunately, Teavana is not often available at stores anymore, with a single box selling at high prices from Walmart or Amazon. However, there are alternatives you can use, essentially including any minty, citrusy tea and any peach tea. Steep your tea bags of choice — or loose leaf tea, for better customization — in a hot water and lemonade mixture, add honey, and voila: Your homemade cold cure is ready.

Having a hard time finding the right tea blend for your homemade Medicine Ball? The specific flavor notes you're looking for are lemon verbena, lemongrass, and spearmint for the Jade Citrus Mint tea, and peach, candied pineapple, chamomile blossoms, lemon verbena, and rose hips for the Peach Tranquility tea. For alternatives, Medicine Ball fans on Reddit have suggested Tazo's Calm tea or Adagio's Citrus Mint green tea as good alternatives for the Jade Citrus Mint, while Republic of Tea's Ginger Peach tea, Plum Deluxe's Tranquil Peach tea, or Adagio's Peach Serenity can be substituted for Peach Tranquility, according to another Reddit thread.

Once you've found your preferred teas, the process for preparing the drink is pretty simple. Combine and heat equal parts water and plain lemonade, either on the stovetop or in the microwave, then steep two tea bags in the mixture for two to three minutes or whatever time is recommended by the brand. Finally, stir in honey and optionally peppermint extract to your liking. If you want a stronger tea flavor (without any bitter notes), try adding an extra tea bag or using less lemonade.