You need to know about the Starbucks Medicine Ball tea if you are looking for a hot drink to get you through the cold and flu season.
This soothing, nurturing drink is delicious, healthy, and hydrating!
And there’s no need to know the secret to ordering the Starbucks Medicine Ball these days. This drink formerly available only on the secret menu is now featured on the official Starbucks menu under a new name.
Here’s everything you need to know about ordering a Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea and why it has become a best seller for the winter season.
What Is the Starbucks Medicine Ball Drink?
The Starbucks Medicine Ball drink is almost mythical.
In fact, it was one of the most popular items on the Starbucks “secret menu” for many years before officially becoming legitimized as a menu item.
This flu-season favorite was originally a customer creation that gained popularity after being talked about on the Internet.
So what’s inside the Starbucks Medicine Ball drink?
Let’s just say that this nourishing “cuppa” nearly turns your barista into an apothecary.
Next, let’s take a proper look at the ingredient list of the Medicine Ball tea.
Ingredients – What’s In a Medicine Ball?
Don’t look for “Medicine Ball” on the Starbucks menu.
This healing concoction actually goes under the name Honey Citrus Mint Tea on the official Starbucks menu.
Here’s what’s in it:
- Jade Citrus Mint green tea
- Peach Tranquility herbal tea
- Hot water
- Steamed lemonade
- A touch of honey
Optional ingredient:
- Peppermint syrup
Ordering bigger is definitely better with this drink if you want to get the best concentration of its ultra-healthy ingredients — I usually get the 16 oz grande version of the Medicine Ball.
While the short and tall options offer just one squirt of honey with one tea bag, the grande and venti versions power things up with two squirts of honey accompanied by two tea bags.
The extra hydration that comes with the larger cups is also great for you if you’re trying to stave off a cold.
But how about the calories and sugar in the Medicine Ball?
Yes, it’s true that this drink is quite heavy on sugar. Even without the added peppermint syrup, the grande version has 130 calories and 30 grams of sugar.
How Does it Taste?
The Starbucks Medicine Ball drink blends “heat” and “sweet” just beautifully. The peach tea, steamed lemonade, and honey give the drink a candy-meets-lozenge flavor note.
The green tea cuts through the sweetness to provide an earthy, nurturing flavor profile.
One of the benefits of the drink is that its enticing taste will encourage you to stay hydrated with hot liquids when you may not have much of an appetite.
I recommend that you also check out my favorite peach drinks at Starbucks for more sweet and peachy delights.
Benefits of Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea
The heat and hydration provided by this drink feel like warm hugs when you’re depleted and worn down.
Here are some of the amazing benefits of the Medicine Ball:
1. Remedy for Colds and Sore Throat
The warm honey and citrus of the Medicine Ball drink coat and soothe the throat with perfection — its thick, hot profile is great in relieving your discomfort.
So if you are looking for the best Starbucks drink to treat a sore throat, this is it!
The antibacterial properties of honey may even help to speed up your recovery. In addition, the citrus in the lemonade is full of vitamin C which is known to help reduce cold duration.
2. Vitamins and Antioxidants
The teas used in this blend also have their own superpowers.
First, the peach tea is full of vitamin A, vitamin C, and antioxidants that help to boost the immune system.
The citrus mint green tea used is also bursting with antioxidants that are great for the immune system. You’ll also love the way the hot mint moves through your sinuses and airways!
3. Energizing Effect
The mild caffeine kick provided by the green tea can help you power up when you’re in need of an energy boost because a cold is kicking you down.
While the Starbucks Medicine Ball can’t necessarily cure a cold, it can help to give you a much-needed boost if you’re feeling run down. In addition to warming and hydrating the body, the Medicine Ball also provides comfort and sweetness.
How to Order the Medicine Ball at Starbucks
As mentioned before, if you walk into a Starbucks store you can ask for a Honey Citrus Mint Tea or the Medicine Ball drink.
But what if you are ordering online at the Starbucks website or using the Mobile App?
Below are the step-by-step instructions for ordering the Medicine Ball online:
1. Select Drink
First, select “Order” and then choose Hot Teas -> Honey Citrus Mint Tea (under Green Teas).
2. Choose the Size
Next, choose your drink size from Short (8 oz), Tall (12 oz), Grande (16 oz), and Venti (20 oz).
3. Customize
Now you can customize your drink if you want some Peppermint Syrup to be added.
Choose Flavors -> Add Peppermint Syrup.
You can add 1 or 2 pumps depending on your drink size and how sweet you like it.
Under Customizations, choose Flavors:
Then add Peppermint Syrup:
4. Order and Pay
Now you are ready to finalize your order!
Just choose “Add to Order”. Of course, you can still add more drinks and foods to your order before paying for it.
So how much does the Medicine Ball cost?
The exact price of this drink depends on the drink size, store location, and if you had some peppermint syrup or not.
For example, a short-sized Medicine Ball without peppermint syrup is about $3.35 while the grande will cost you about $3.95.
How to Make the Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea at Home?
While it’s very hard to make a drink that is exactly the same as Starbucks Medicine Ball, you can come pretty close with these instructions.
Lemonade and honey are easy to find in any grocery and you can order the Teavana teas from Amazon.
Here is how to make a Medicine Ball tea at home:
- Put one teabag of both Teavana Jade Citrus Mint Tea and Peach Tranquility Tea into a large mug.
- Add some boiling hot water.
- Add a splash of store-bought lemonade or freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Mix in some honey. You can start with one teaspoon and add more if it’s not sweet enough.
- Enjoy!
If you used fresh lemon juice, you might want to add a bit more honey since there is no sugar.
Starbucks Medicine Ball – The Unofficial Drink of Cold and Flu Season for a Good Reason
While the Medicine Ball isn’t a miracle drink that can cure your cold, it does feel like a gift from heaven when your body is craving something hot and soothing.
It’s definitely one of my favorite Starbucks hot tea drinks and a great alternative to coffee.
I often order a grande-sized Medicine Ball and sip it slowly over the course of the entire morning. I also use it preventatively as a way to enjoy the benefits of citrus, honey, and extra hydration during the peak flu season.
There’s one last secret to know about how to order the Starbucks Medicine Ball. An optional squirt of peppermint syrup is the add-on ingredient that many people ask for when ordering this drink.
The extra boost of peppermint can be great for clearing the sinuses if your nose is stuffy. However, it does add a significant amount of extra sweetness to the drink.
Of course, the biggest secret of all is that the Medicine Ball is no longer confined to the Starbucks secret menu!
Feel free to ask for it as either the Honey Citrus Mint Tea drink or Medicine Ball drink when placing your order.
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