Honey citrus mint tea — the cozy drink many people call the "Medicine Ball" — is a soothing hot cup made from a citrus-mint green tea and a peach herbal tea steeped in a mix of hot water and hot lemonade, then sweetened with honey. It is a cold-weather, scratchy-throat favorite, and it is easy to make at home in about five minutes. Below is a simple copycat method, a from-scratch version, and a quick table of swaps.
What is honey citrus mint tea (the Medicine Ball)?
Honey citrus mint tea became famous as an off-menu order at Starbucks, where it is now listed as "Honey Citrus Mint Tea" and known by fans as the Medicine Ball. The classic build layers two tea bags — a citrus-mint green tea and a peach herbal tea — over equal parts hot water and warmed lemonade, finished with honey. The result is bright, minty, lightly peachy, and gently sweet, with a lemony tang that makes it feel restorative on a cold or rainy day.
The Starbucks version has historically used Teavana Jade Citrus Mint green tea and Peach Tranquility herbal tea; the chain has adjusted its blend over time, so the in-store recipe can vary by year and region. The good news is that the drink is easy to approximate with widely available tea bags, which is exactly what a copycat medicine ball tea recipe does.
Honey citrus mint tea recipe (the copycat Medicine Ball)
This is the standard at-home build. It makes one large mug. Scale it up by keeping the water and lemonade in roughly equal parts.
- About 1 cup (240 ml) water
- About 1 cup (240 ml) lemonade
- 1 citrus-mint green tea bag (a green tea with mint)
- 1 peach herbal tea bag
- 1 to 2 teaspoons honey, to taste
- Optional: a squeeze of fresh lemon, a pump of peach syrup, or a drop of peppermint extract
How to make honey citrus mint tea, step by step
- Heat the liquid. Combine equal parts water and lemonade (about a cup of each) in a small pot or microwave-safe mug and heat until hot but not boiling. If you have a milk steamer or frother, you can steam the lemonade for a frothier, more cafe-style cup.
- Steep the tea. Add one citrus-mint green tea bag and one peach herbal tea bag to the hot liquid. Steep for about 3 to 5 minutes. Green tea can turn bitter if it steeps too long, so lean toward the shorter end if you used a true green tea.
- Sweeten. Remove the tea bags and stir in honey to taste, usually 1 to 2 teaspoons. Add it while the liquid is hot but not boiling so it dissolves smoothly.
- Adjust and serve. Taste, then brighten with an extra squeeze of lemon, deepen the fruit with a small pump of peach syrup, or sharpen the mint with a single drop of peppermint extract. Drink it hot.
That four-step method is really all there is to how to make honey citrus mint tea at home. The two variables that matter most are steep time (for the mint and green-tea character) and how much honey you add (for sweetness and that soothing, coating feel).
Ingredients and what each one does
Here is the role of each component, plus an easy substitute if you cannot find the exact tea.
| Ingredient | Role in the cup | Easy substitute |
|---|---|---|
| Citrus-mint green tea | Fresh mint lift and a light green-tea backbone | Any green tea with mint, or plain green tea plus a fresh mint sprig |
| Peach herbal tea | Soft, fruity sweetness and body | Any peach or apricot herbal/fruit tea; a peach fruit tisane |
| Hot water | The neutral base that carries the tea | None needed |
| Lemonade (warmed) | Bright citrus tang and gentle sweetness | Hot water plus fresh lemon juice and a little sugar or honey |
| Honey | Sweetness and a soothing, coating mouthfeel | Maple syrup or agave (flavor changes slightly) |
| Peppermint extract (optional) | Extra mint punch | An extra mint tea bag, or fresh mint leaves |
A from-scratch variant (no flavored tea bags)
If you would rather build the flavors yourself, you can skip the pre-blended bags entirely:
- Brew a cup of plain green tea with a small handful of fresh mint leaves. Keep the water just off the boil (around 175–185°F / 80–85°C) and steep 2 to 3 minutes so the green tea stays smooth.
- Make a quick warm "lemonade" by stirring the juice of half a lemon and a teaspoon of sugar or honey into hot water — or gently warm store-bought lemonade.
- Combine the minty green tea and the warm lemonade in equal parts.
- Stir in honey to taste, and add a splash of peach nectar or a slice of fresh peach for the classic fruity note.
This version gives you full control over sweetness and mint intensity, and it leans on the same idea behind classic soothing brews — hot liquid, citrus, and honey. If you like that formula, the ginger, lemon and honey tea recipe is a warming, spicier cousin worth keeping in your rotation, and our general guide to making tea covers steep times and temperatures for every leaf.
Serving and soothing notes
Honey citrus mint tea is meant to be sipped hot, ideally in a big mug you can wrap your hands around. It is a popular pick when you are feeling run down: the warm liquid, the honey and the citrus all feel comforting on a scratchy throat. That comfort is real, but it is worth being clear that this is a cozy drink, not a medicine — it can help you feel better while you rest and hydrate, but it will not cure a cold or an infection.
A few practical notes:
- Add honey to warm, not boiling, liquid so it dissolves and keeps its floral character.
- Honey should never be given to infants under 1 year of age.
- If a sore throat is severe, lasts more than about a week, or comes with a high fever or trouble swallowing or breathing, see a healthcare professional rather than relying on tea.
For more on why honey shows up in so many comforting cups, see our honey tea explainer. And if you are specifically fighting a cold or a scratchy throat, our roundup of the best teas for colds and sore throat covers demulcent and warming herbs that pair well with this drink.
The takeaway
The honey citrus mint tea recipe is one of the easiest cafe-style drinks to recreate at home: hot water, warm lemonade, a mint-and-green tea bag, a peach tea bag, and honey to taste. Whether you order the Starbucks Medicine Ball or build your own from scratch, the appeal is the same — a bright, honeyed, minty mug that feels like a small act of self-care on a cold day. Keep the ingredients on hand, and you will always have a soothing cup within reach.