There’s nothing like a Starbucks tea for a sore throat. The company offers tea varieties that are just right for fighting off a little tingle.
In my experience, the best Starbucks drink for sore throat is the Honey Citrus Mint Tea, also known as the Medicine Ball. In addition to being hot and nourishing, this tea is also delicious.
But there are also many other Starbucks drinks that can soothe your throat — and I will introduce all of them here in this guide!
Teas and other hot drinks are great for alleviating soreness because they loosen the phlegm and often contain honey and other natural ingredients that have antibacterial benefits.
Most people are unaware that the Starbucks beverage menu is so full of “medicinal” concoctions that can make it seem like your local barista is the town apothecary.
So let’s take a look at exactly what to ask for the next time a throat tingle inspires tea time!
1. Best Starbucks Tea for Sore Throat – The Medicine Ball (Honey Citrus Mint Tea)
The name says it all with this therapeutic tea!
One glance at the ingredients in this tea concoction will make you a believer that it’s one of the best natural remedies for a sore throat.
Here’s a look at what the Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea contains:
- Jade Citrus Mint Green Tea
- Peach Tranquility Herbal Tea
- Hot water
- Steamed lemonade
- A drip of honey
- A pump of peppermint syrup (optional)
The Medicine Ball used to be a secret menu item. You had to ask for it by name.
However, it became so popular that it’s now on the menu and the title is actually Honey Citrus Mint Tea.
There’s a little bit of a trick to ordering this tea. You may be able to get your dose simply by asking the barista at the counter for the Medicine Ball or Cold Buster.
However, it won’t be quite as easy if you’re ordering through the Starbucks app. You actually need to go under the “green teas” section nested under the “hot teas” category to find this medicinal elixir under its true name.
So how does the Honey Citrus Mint Tea taste?
This drink has a bit of a floral, fruity flavor thanks to the excellent Teavana teas used for making it. It surprises you with refreshing notes of mint just as your taste buds have adapted to the sweetness.
Why is it the best Starbucks drink for a sore throat?
The Medicine Ball tea feels thick, letting you sense the honey and citrus soothing your throat.
The antibacterial effects of honey help to make this tea a powerhouse of health benefits. In addition, the mint and peach teas used are full of antioxidants. The steamed lemon kicks in with a nice sprinkling of vitamin C.
All in all, this hydrating and soothing tea is the perfect choice to soothe your sore throat!
7 More Starbucks Drinks for Sore Throat
In addition to the Medicine Ball, Starbucks offers many more great options for soothing your throat.
Pick a hot drink below and get an instant relief for throat irritation:
2. Mint Majesty
One of the best Starbucks teas for sore throat, the Mint Majesty is made with Teavana teabags that contain spearmint, peppermint, and lemon verbena. This yummy caffeine-free tea blends the three healing herbs for an effervescent experience with many benefits.
Mint is great for a sore throat because it has antibacterial properties. It can also help to clear up sinus passageways if you’re feeling stuffed up.
The lemon verbena adds a lovely floral taste to the Mint Majesty and makes sure this tea isn’t too spicy for your taste!
3. Chai Tea
The ultimate mood booster in a cup, Starbucks Chai Tea is a black tea that’s infused with warm clove, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger.
In addition to soothing your inflamed throat, ginger also has antibacterial properties that may help to reduce the duration of colds. Clove, cardamom, and cinnamon all have anti-inflammatory benefits.
In addition, this drink is the Starbucks tea with the most caffeine, so that kick from the black tea extract will help you with a nice energy boost.
4. Peach Tranquility Tea
This Starbucks peach drink brings a touch of the tropics to your taste buds and could be just what’s needed to chase your sore throat away.
The Starbucks Peach Tranquility Tea is infused with sweet peach, candied pineapple, chamomile blossoms, lemon verbena, and rose hips.
While the antioxidants from the rose hips can help to boost your immune system, the relaxing properties of chamomile tea ensure that you can take it easy for a fast recovery. The bromelain from the pineapple can also give your immune system a nice boost to stop a cough in its tracks.
5. Jade Citrus Mint Brewed Tea
A great pick for a small caffeine boost, the Jade Citrus Mint Tea refreshing drink combines green tea, lemon verbena, lemongrass, and a hint of spearmint.
Lemongrass is believed to have antibacterial and anti-fungal benefits that can help you to fight off a cold. The soothing mix of lemon and mint helps to calm inflammation while coating your throat with antibacterial goodness.
6. Steamed Apple Juice
Looking for a Starbucks drink for a sore throat that isn’t tea?
The Steamed Apple Juice is a great pick for anyone who isn’t a tea fan!
This thick elixir is made from nothing more than real, not-from-concentrate apple juice.
A non-acidic juice like apple juice is actually recommended to help you stay hydrated and nourished without causing irritation in your throat.
7. Emperor’s Clouds & Mist Tea
This is a high-quality green tea for the times when you want to sip something hot that also provides a decent hit of caffeine.
What makes the Emperor’s Clouds & Mist tea special is that it’s cultivated at 3,500 feet in terrain shrouded by milky clouds and mist. In addition to making you feel great on the spot, this tea also gives you the anti-inflammatory benefits associated with high-quality green tea.
8. Black Tea (Earl Grey or Royal English Breakfast)
The way Starbucks does Earl Grey Tea is out of this world.
It’s made with Teavana tea that combines a strong black-tea base with the essence of bergamot, a citrus fruit with floral notes, and a hint of lavender. Bergamot is an essential oil that is often credited with being helpful for flu and cold prevention.
I recommend adding some honey and maybe a splash of milk for a smooth experience.
If you want to make it at home, check out our guide with the Best Earl Grey Teas on the market. And don’t forget to add a dash of one of our recommended honey for black tea to make it more effective for treating a sore throat. You can even pour in a bit of fresh lemon juice for some vitamin C.
The Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte at Starbucks shines for being made from high-grown full leaves with flavor complexity. This is a great pick for some slow slipping.
There’s even a famed English breakfast tea latte on the menu that features liquid cane sugar finished off with steamed milk done up in a velvety foam!
So go ahead and order some Starbucks black tea to treat your sore throat and feel instant relief!
There’s Nothing Like a Starbucks Tea for a Sore Throat!
The Starbucks tea menu definitely takes some cues from traditional herbal medicine when it comes to providing what a sore throat craves. These beautiful blends combine quality tea with aromatic honey and herbs for an amazing experience.
If you’ve been wondering how to order flu season teas at Starbucks, keep this list tucked away and it will help you order with confidence!
Ordering all of them is quite simple because you can find them on the regular menu. This means you can also use the Starbucks app to order these drinks from home and then pick them up from the nearest Starbucks shop.
Looking for more options? Check out this guide on the best Starbucks teas with both hot and iced drinks!
FAQs
What Starbucks drink is best for throat pain?
My recommendation for the best Starbucks drink for sore throat is the Honey Citrus Mint Tea (previously known as the “Medicine Ball”). This healing drink is a combination of steamed lemonade, hot water, and a mix of Teavana’s Jade Citrus Mint Tea and Peach Tranquility Tea, with honey added.
The combination of natural ingredients in this tea are great for soothing throat pain and helping you recover faster.
Why hot tea is good for a sore throat?
Hot tea can be beneficial for a sore throat because it helps soothe and relax the muscles in the throat, providing temporary relief from pain and discomfort. It’s also a great way to hydrate and keep the throat moist and alleviate dryness and irritation.
Can I drink coffee when I have a sore throat?
While coffee might not be the best drink to treat a sore throat, there is no reason you can’t drink it. Just remember to have too much coffee during one day because its high caffeine content might cause dehydration and worsen your symptoms.
Is iced tea good for a sore throat?
Drinking iced tea to relieve a sore throat is a bit of a double-edged sword. While it provides hydration and can help decrease pain and inflammation cold beverages can also exacerbate the irritation in your throat. Therefore, it’s best to avoid drinking too much cold drinks when having a sore throat.
Is green tea good for a sore throat?
Green tea can definitely help soothe a sore throat because it provides hydration and has anti-inflammatory effects, that might help reduce the inflammation and swelling associated with a sore throat. Adding honey to green tea can provide additional benefits due to its natural antibacterial properties.
