Can You Still Order A 'Medicine Ball' On The Starbucks App?

Chances are that at some point in the past few years, you've gone out with the sniffles only for someone to suggest you go to Starbucks and get a "Medicine Ball." And like many, you might very well have done just that, leaving with a steaming hot cup of citrusy, minty, honey-infused tea that felt like it might just be helping you heal — even though it was probably just a placebo effect. But you might have noticed that this item isn't actually on the menu. The baristas will likely know what you are asking for and give you what you want, but they won't call it a Medicine Ball. Like knowing your favorite secret menu hacks at McDonald's, ordering a Medicine Ball is a trick that many Starbucks customers quickly became quite familiar with. And like many Starbucks secrets you'll wish you knew sooner, knowing how to hack the menu at the Seattle-based coffee giant can take your next Starbucks run to the next level.

While you can go into any location and ask a barista for a Medicine Ball, the question of the day is: Can you actually order one on the Starbucks app? Well, no, but also yes. Starbucks doesn't have any menu items listed under the name Medicine Ball. And if you search for the item by name, you won't get any hits for any kind of tea. Starbucks doesn't use the term Medicine Ball because selling a drink with the word "medicine" in the name would imply that it is actually, in fact, medicine. And there is no medicine in the drink. But that doesn't mean you can't still order it, you just have to know what this drink is actually called.

Starbucks may not have a Medicine Ball on its mobile app, but it does have the drink that the moniker refers to. On the app, you'll have to search under the hot tea section of the menu where you'll find it listed under brewed teas as Honey Citrus Mint Tea. What you'll get is the Medicine Ball you really want, sans any actual medicinal benefits barring those you'd get from sipping a warm, hydrating beverage when under the weather. It's actually a blend of lemonade and fruity, minty green tea with honey mixed in. It got its start on Instagram where customers dubbed it the Medicine Ball and began ordering it at Starbucks locations across the country. The off-menu item became so popular that Starbucks decided to officially put it on the menu under a different name — Honey Citrus Mint Tea.

It's not hard to make a Starbucks Medicine Ball at home, but when you are sick, the last thing you want to do is gather all the ingredients to brew a delicious tea that you can simply pick up at the local Starbucks. And thanks to the mobile app, you can order it before you leave the house, and it will most likely be ready and waiting for you when you arrive. All you have to do is grab it and go, making it that much easier to enjoy the soothing effects of the citrus and herb combination that makes this tea so irresistible even when you aren't sick.