Ginger Honey Tea Tonic.
Otherwise known as, the cold buster! Or the Starbucks medicine ball. YES.
Or, MY Starbucks medicine ball recipe. I’m sort of obsessed,
Seriously who comes up with these amazing combos? I think we should develop some crazy coffee recipe here and see if we can get Starbucks to add it to their secret menu and then add it to their real menu, Apparently thats what happened with the medicine ball. I propose bacon coffee.KIDDING.
A quick google search will tell you what the ingredients are. They are simple, but not things that I had in my house. And I was majorly desperate, because when I ordered one of these last week? They were all OUT. Noooooo.
I don’t know how we made it through the entire winter and most of flu season without any of us getting sick. I mean, I’m majorly thankful! But the last few weeks have been a little rough. Max has pretty much never been sick up until a few weeks ago, and he’s had all sorts of colds and coughs that we’ve been passing around to each other. I woke up last week with a sinus infection and started freaking out, because the book tour started this week. No way did I want to fly feeling like death.
So this is my version of the Starbucks medicine ball. The only thing I don’t add is the peppermint syrup. Sometimes, when I get this at Starbucks, I do add the syrup. But I didn’t feel like I needed it at home, plus I sort of avoid major peppermint things at the moment since I’m nursing. I also really love it without the peppermint syrup!
And you know that I’m totally not a tea person, but this is one tea that I adore. I can drink the entire thing. Most times, I swear that tea just tastes like dirt and grass and there is nothing to save it. No milk, no sugar, nothing.
But this one? It’s perfect. Probably because the base is steamed lemonade and water. Yes yes, lemonade! There’s already a bit of added sweetness there so it’s perfect.
For the teas, you need a minty tea and a peachy tea. That’s one of the reasons that I don’t add the extra peppermint – the mint tea is more than enough for me. I used the Tazo refresh mint and am now loving it. Like I may even drink it on its own.
Since I didn’t do the peppermint, I added a bunch of my own freshly grated ginger.
YOU GUYS. Last week I was so desperate that I actually chewed raw garlic and ginger. So many of you have told me over the years that it works. I think that you have to chew cloves like every hour or something through? I couldn’t do that. Eeeep.
I ended up spreading Manuka honey on a cracker and added a chopped garlic clove with a ton of fresh ginger. It was not pleasant, but I got it down. I did two of them. Maybe that also contributed to my sinus infection/cold only lasting like four days. Oh oh oh and this elderberry syrup stuff! LIFE SAVED.
Anyhoo, back to the tea. I made it a bunch last week but I made a big batch to photograph a few days ago – and I just couldn’t stop drinking it. I might have found the tea that I finally enjoy. I want to make it all the time now! That may defeat the purpose but… who cares. It’s DELISH.
Ginger Honey Tea Tonic
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups lemonade
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 bags mint tea
- 2 bags peach tea
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 to 2 teaspoons honey or more
- 1 lemon wedge or slice for garnish
Instructions
- Bring the lemonade and the water to a gentle boil (in a kettle, or heck, in a saucepan!). Place the tea bags (in separate mugs or in a large measuring cup/pitcher) and ginger in the mugs/pitcher and pour the lemonade water over to steep. Steep for about 5 minutes, then remove the tea bags and stir in the honey.
- Add a slice of lemon and drink!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
And I also might just make it to drizzle honey like that.
34 Comments on “Ginger Honey Tea Tonic.”
This sounds great! Is your copper pot by any chance electric? I have been looking for an electric copper pot and haven’t found a style I like. LOVE the kettle you’re using in the photos!
it’s not! i’d love to find an electric copper one too!
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Yes to garlic! It’s my go-to cure for sinus/ear infections. I’ve done the raw garlic thing (I chop it up really finely and put it in water — I can’t handle chewing it), but my preferred method is Smitten Kitchen’s “44-clove garlic soup”. A solid batch of that, plus some nasal irrigation, will stop my symptoms in their tracks!
I have done the Smitten Kitchen “44 clove garlic soup” also. It was a lifesaver one winter during flu season.
omg i must try this!
Hmmm… i too hate tea. I drink a mug of hot water, lemon juice and honey most mornings. It was something my granny always did. It’s tolerable, but mostly it keeps me from starting on coffee at 5am. This sounds tasty! Plus it sounds like it could be good iced, too, now that we’re moving in to iced everything season!
that sounds delish too!!
You are so brave to do the raw garlic and ginger! I cant! What kind of lemonade do you use? I didnt realize it was actual lemonade! This sounds insanely good!
i know! i think that’s what makes it so good. i just used the simply lemonade brand!
I’m so glad you posted this! I love the medicine ball tea at Starbucks but they are always out of the Jade Citrus Mint and the peach tranquility. Could you recommend the peach tea that you are using? I can’t wait to just make this at home!
i’ve tried it with 3 kids! the tazo peach cobbler, tazo peach green and countrytime peach passion! i liked them all – the peach passion was probably the peachiest!
It looks great. But I´m a little bit confused about term lemonade. In our country lemonade means every sweet drink such as coca cola, fanta, sprite or etc. You mean just water with lemon juice and sugar? Thanks for your answer :-). I love your recipes and your new cookbook is on my wishlist.
yes! lemonade that is made with sugar and lemon juice and water – not carbonated, but still sweet! thanks michelle!
I too love this drink at Starbucks and was so mad to hear they can’t make it with everything anymore – but they did turn me on to their new drink – Citrus Detox – AMAZING. Must try it!
they can’t?! oh no!! i didn’t realize that. i will have to try the new one too!
I’m on day 10 of being sick (just found out my ear infections didn’t respond to the first round of antibiotics) Starbucks doesn’t carry the peach tea anymore (I was told because Teavana went out of business 🤷🏼♀️) but am LOVING the citrus defender
Cant wait to try? Curious what brand of peach tea you used?
i’ve tried it with 3 kinds! the tazo peach cobbler, tazo peach green and countrytime peach passion! i liked them all – the peach passion was probably the peachiest!
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I boil about 4 cups of water and add a bunch of chopped ginger, a sliced lemon, orange and 2 cinnamon sticks. Boil for 20 minutes and strain. Delicious!!!
LOVE! that sounds so good!
Being sick is the worst. Its so helpful to have yummy home remedies!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/passion-fruit-colada/
yes, sure is!
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I am so excited to try this recipe. I am totally crushing on your tea kettle.
I can confirm that this combination is delicious over ice. Made it today at work: 2 bags peach tranquility and 1 bag jade citrus mint in a tall cup. Let steep 5 min. Stir in 1 packet of honey (or more to taste). Pour over ice in a venti cup and top with lemonade and more ice. We still have both teas – but the peach is getting low. Celestial Seasonings has a good peach tea, though!
I adore a medicine ball with 1 pump of peppermint when I am sick! I also got my wife hooked, but she hates to be that person with a complicated order- so if the barista doesn’t know what it is by name she won’t bother getting it. Last year we both got a cold the same week so instead of spending our entire grocery budget on medicine balls I made them at home with generic mint and peach teas, simply lemonade, homemade mint syrup and manuka honey. It was legit. But now that they have the medicine ball on the menu (honey citrus mint tea), I am almost looking forward to getting a cold lol (not really).
Yum!!! I love this recipe so much now that it’s rainy and chilly.
Glad I found this before I lost half my paychecks to iced coffee at Starbucks this summer. This is so happening during meal prep this weekend 😀 Thanks for sharing!coffee lover
My wallet thanks you! I can’t wait to try it with ginger! Also-wondering if a drop of lemon essential oil would work-what do you think?
My Starbucks card and wallet hanks you! I can’t wait to try it with ginger! Also-wondering if a drop of lemon essential oil would work-what do you think?