Starbucks Baristas Wish You Would Stop Ordering The 'Medicine Ball'

The customer is always right, but that doesn't mean you won't spot rolling eyes. Any seasoned Starbucks-goer knows some drinks are easier to make than others. But if you've ordered the medicine ball recently, maybe you've missed the hints: Baristas wish you'd stop. The medicine ball is actually a nickname for a honey mint citrus tea – a green tea with chamomile, mint, honey, and steamed lemonade. It was previously labeled as one of the Starbucks secret menu drinks you won't want to miss in 2024. However, the customer creation, hailed as a cold and flu remedy, became so popular that the company added it to its official ranks. No secrecy required.

For baristas, the issue lies more in customer behavior than the drink itself. Because of the tea's healing reputation, it attracts people stumbling in with hacking coughs and spluttered sneezes — risking spreading illness. One staff member took to Reddit in a furious keyboard rant, "All for a tea that gets sugary syrup and sugary lemonade in it.... no medicinal properties whatsoever." Craving a medicine ball and not contagious? No problem. But if you're poorly enough to skip a visit to your nana's, maybe give your Starbucks stop a second thought.

On that note, remember that medicine ball is only a nickname, so consider ordering a honey mint citrus tea to avoid rubbing your barista up the wrong way. Starbucks can't legally claim a drink is cold and flu treatment, so mislabeling risks putting staff in a sticky spot.

Too ill to visit Starbucks with self-respect intact? Baristas have suggested alternatives, like ordering drive-thru rather than at counters, but sometimes leaving the house just isn't on the day's bingo cards. No judgment; we get it. Luckily, the medicine ball is a breeze to recreate at home. It's ten times more beneficial, too — you can add real lemons rather than simply steaming sugary non-medicinal lemonade. Did you know this citrus fruit contains immune-boosting vitamin C?

The original concoction was a bag of Peach Tranquility and Jade Garden tea mixed with steamed lemonade and water, complete with an extra dash of honey. You could purchase 12 Teavana Peach Tranquility sachets for a hefty $33.99 on Amazon, although it's worth noting Starbucks discontinued it. The most recent medicine ball recipe excludes that specific fruity counterpart. In reality, any green, peppermint, and peach herbal teas will form a tasty trio.

Fresh lemon juice is definitely a good addtion. Use our simple trick to juice a lemon while keeping it fresh by poking a hole in the fruit rather than slicing it open and leaving half to wither in the fridge. Stock up on herbal teas, skip the artificial lemonade, and invest in high-quality honey. For instance, extra medicinal power is what makes Manuka honey so special – you can buy it at all sorts of prices online; this Manuka Doctor brand is about $11, but others go up to a whopping $80, like this New Zealand Manukora Raw honey. You'll kick your cold to the curb in no time.