Last Updated on March 30, 2023 by brewthatcoffee
Have a sore throat, are headed out to Starbucks, and wondering what you can get to drink that won’t worsen your throat? Whether you like hot or cold drinks, there’s a great selection you can try. Choose between herbal teas, black teas with honey, icy drinks, or make a blend to suit yourself.
Here’s our list of the five best Starbucks drinks to order when you have a sore throat.
- Honey Citrus Mint Tea (The Medicine Ball)
- Mint Majesty
- Peach Tranquility
- Chair Tea
- Pink Drink Starbucks Refresher
The 5 Best Starbucks Drinks For A Sore Throat
When you have a sore throat, you’ll want to choose drinks that feel soothing and are not too thick. If you’re ill, one of the best things to do is stay hydrated; drinking herbal teas and cold drinks will help. Honey is an excellent salve; mint can help clear up mucus, so these are great additions.
Here are my favorite drinks from Starbucks when I’m dealing with a sore and itchy throat:
1. Honey Citrus Mint Tea (The Medicine Ball)
The Honey Citrus Mint tea was once a Secret Menu item—a customer-created off-menu drink. It was known as the Medicine Ball drinks, and people who were feeling a little under the weather combined teas and ingredients that made their throat feel better.
But the Medicine Ball drink became so popular that Starbucks added it to its menu under the new name of Honey Citrus Mint Tea.
Made with organic herbal teas like spearmint, lemon verbena, and lemon grass, with an infusion of peach, rose, pineapple, chamomile, and lemon verbena, it is packed full of soothing ingredients. The antioxidants in green tea will also help if you’re fighting off an infection.
The addition of lemon juice and honey blend makes this a drink that should be at the top of anyone’s list if they need a pick-me-up when they are feeling under the weather.
Order your Honey Citrus Mint Tea from the Hot teas section of the Starbucks menu, and enjoy this steamed combination of Jade Citrus Mint Tea, Peach Tranquility Tea, and steamed lemonade with a dash of honey.
A Grande Honey Citrus Mint Tea is 16 fl oz and contains:
- 130 calories
- 30g sugar
- 16 mg caffeine
Regular or secret menu: Regular
2. Mint Majesty
When you’re looking for drinks when you’re sick, you might prefer to stick to herbal teas or ones with low caffeine to avoid dehydration. Mint teas are often recommended because the mint helps to alleviate sinus issues and can help clear your breathing.
Stabuck’s menu item Mint Majesty is a perfect choice if you’re looking for a refreshing herbal tea combining mint and lemon verbena to create this delicious caffeine-free herbal tea.
While green tea might have many antioxidants, you might not want to drink anything with caffeine, which is where Mint Majesty is a great alternative. It’s refreshing, and the menthol will help decongest you.
Mint is also an excellent bedtime tea and great if you’re having stomach trouble, as it can help settle nausea.
You can order Mint Majesty from the Hot Teas section of the Starbucks menu, and this infusion of water, spearmint, peppermint, and lemon verbena will make you feel better. Add some extra honey blend for soothing throat properties.
A Grande Mint Majesty Tea is 16 fl oz and contains:
- 0 calories
- 0 sugar
- 0 caffeine
If you add honey packets or honey blend pumps, each will add extra calories to your drink.
Regular or secret menu: Regular
3. Peach Tranquility
If you’re looking for a fruit-based herbal tea that doesn’t contain citrus, then the Peach Tranquility is the one for you. Some people find that teas with lemon or citrus juices can aggravate their sore throat, so a soft, soothing peach tea is a perfect choice.
The Peach tranquility tea is a delicate, sweet fusion of peach, candied pineapple, chamomile flowers, rose hips, and lemon verbena. The combination of chamomile and lemon verbena adds to the soothing properties of the tea.
This is the best tea to choose if you want a warm drink without caffeine to help you relax while soothing your sore throat. Order this wonderful herbal tea from the Hot Drinks section of the Starbucks menu.
A Grande Peach Tranquility Tea is 16 fl oz and contains:
- 0 calories
- 0 sugar
- 0 caffeine
If you want honey packets or honey blend pumps, these add extra calories to your drink.
Regular or secret menu: Regular
4. Chai Tea
Despite the caffeine, black teas can also be good for sore throat. Sometimes you want a little boost; in that case, black tea with a blend of gentle, warming spices can be just the thing.
Consider ordering a Chai Tea from the Hot Drinks menu if you want a black tea gently infused with warm notes of clove, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger.
Chai is full of healthy antioxidants that can help you fight off your sickness, and the flavonoids in black tea have been linked to heart health. The ingredients of black team ginger and cinnamon can also help reduce inflammation, which can benefit when fighting a sore throat.
If you’re fighting off a cold, you’ll be pleased to know that black tea has catechins, which have antiviral properties, while the spices like ginger and cinnamon have antimicrobial properties. This makes Chai Tea a perfect warming drink when you need help with a sore throat.
A Grande Chai Tea is 16 fl oz and contains:
- 0 calories
- 0 sugar
- 40 mg caffeine
Regular or secret menu: Regular
5. Pink Drink Starbucks Refresher
While many of us like warming hot drinks when we have a sore throat, sometimes you may prefer something cold to soothe. In that case, avoid the ones with orange juice or lemon. Though they are high in Vitamin C, they can aggravate the tissues in the throat.
If you’re craving a drink with a crisp but creamy taste to help settle your throat, consider getting a Pink Drink Starbucks Refresher. With a combination of natural green coffee, grape juice, passionfruit, coconut milk, and strawberries, this drink is full of fruity refreshments.
Coconut is known to have antiviral and antimicrobial properties that can help you if you’re feeling sick and are fighting off a sore throat.
Once a Secret menu item, this drink became so popular that you can order a Pink Drink Starbucks Refresher of the Cold Drinks menu.
A Grande Pink Drink Starbucks Refresher is 16 fl oz and contains:
- 140 calories
- 25g sugar
- 2.5g fat
- 45mg caffeine
Regular or secret menu: Regular
Types Of Drinks To Avoid With A Sore Throat
While you don’t need to avoid dairy, some people find the extra thickness that dairy adds to a drink can irritate their sore throat and increase congestion, making it harder to swallow.
If you prefer your tea and coffee with dairy and it doesn’t affect your sore throat, feel free to drink milk-based Starbucks drinks. You may like cold milk drinks as these can help soothe your throat.
A good option with creamy drinks is to swap out dairy for coconut milk, as coconut has many great properties that can help you when you’re feeling ill.
While green tea has been shown to help with a sore throat, you might prefer to avoid strongly caffeinated drinks like espressos and lattes. Caffeine can dehydrate you, so by sticking to herbal teas, water, and juice, you can help your body better.
Spices can work as natural decongestants, so drinks like chai with ginger and cinnamon are good choices but try to avoid very spicy things that can aggravate your throat.
Juice is full of healthy vitamins, and drinking cold drinks can help your throat feel less raw, but try to avoid orange juice and lemonade, as citric acid can irritate raw tissues. Instead, add a dash of lemon juice to a tea, with some honey, or drink a soft fruit herbal tea.
Try and avoid too much sugar when you are ill.
Starbucks Sore Throat Drinks FAQs
Even if you must avoid drinks with strong caffeine or dairy, you can still opt for many of Starbucks’ drink offerings. Warm herbal teas could help you feel better, and cold drinks can help numb and soothe a sore throat.
Conclusion
When dealing with a sore throat, stick to black, green, or herbal teas, and add a little lemon or honey to help. You can blend teas at Starbucks to get the perfect soothing drink for your tastes or opt for blended beverages off the menu, like Starbucks’ new Honey Citrus Mint Tea.
If you prefer cold drinks, look at Refreshers with green tea and fruits, and consider blending them with some coconut milk for extra antibacterial properties. While some people keep away from dairy because it makes them more congested, for others, milk soothes the burn in their throat.
Resources
www.allergycapital.com.au/allergycapital/allergycapital/Milk_mucus.html