Hibiscus Tea Starbucks Recipe

This is a super easy copycat hibiscus tea Starbucks recipe. This refreshing iced drink is made with hibiscus tea, simple syrup, and white grape juice. This pink drink has berry and citrus flavors and is truly refreshing when shaken with ice.

Hibiscus has many anti-inflammatory and immune system benefits. Once you get this special ingredient, you can easily prepare this drink in the comfort of your own home, any time of the year.

With just 3 base ingredients, this drink caffeine-free. If you want some caffeine, you can add green coffee extract. It’s a good substitute for traditional traditional coffee and gives you an extra boost of energy.

This drink is perfect on a hot summer day. I like to brew an extra strong tea, store it in a large pitcher, then throw in some blackberries and ice cubes right before serving.

The Starbucks inspiration

The deep pink-purple color is listed on the Starbucks menu in the category of Refresher drinks. Starbucks Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher is made with real fruit juice, freeze-dried blackberries, and green coffee extract. The green coffee extract gives a boost of caffeine.

The Starbucks version doesn’t use fresh berries, and I find they use too much sugar most of the time. Since you’re making this at home, you can add fresh blackberries and modify the sugar to your liking.

What’s green coffee bean extract?

The green coffee bean powder is made with unroasted arabica coffee beans, ground down to a fine powder. Unroasted coffee beans have less caffeine than the roasted beans used for your regular coffee.

One gram of green coffee bean extract has 40 mg of caffeine. That’s about 25-50% of the amount of caffeine found in a cup of regular coffee.

Where can I get hibiscus flowers?

If you can find hibiscus flowers at your grocery store or flower shop, then use it for your tea. All you have to do is lay the flower petals outside on a flat surface (I use a baking sheet with parchment paper- INSERT PICTURE) to dry in the sun. I like this way because it has natural flavors.

To prepare tea from hibiscus flowers, boil water, put in a handful of hibiscus tea leaves, and steep for 20 minutes. Strain to remove leaves, then use that as your tea.

Important: Just to note, not all hibiscus flowers are edible. The most popular edible types are flowers of H. sabdariffa and H. acetosella. These are commonly used when brewing hibiscus tea. Make sure to ask your flower expert what type of Hibiscus you are buying.

These trumpet shaped tropical flowers are originally found in warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world.

Hibiscus flowers are rich in antioxidants like anthocyanins, beta-carotene and vitamin C.

What can I use instead of fresh hibiscus flowers?

If real hibiscus flowers are difficult to source, I’ll help you with much easier options below.

Hibiscus tea bags and freeze dried hibiscus may be more easy to find. They are made from preserved hibiscus flowers. There’s nothing wrong with using hibiscus tea bag or the freeze dried variety. It’s a fast way to make your drink.

Here are some places to find hibiscus tea bags:

• The Republic of Tea (you can get this on Amazon or Whole Foods)
• Passion Tazo Tea bags. These are made from a blend of hibiscus hibiscus flowers, orange peel, rose hips, passion fruit, and cinnamon. Your local Starbucks may also have Tazo tea bags.
• Your local health food store

Here are some places to find freeze dried hibiscus:

• Amazon
• Your local health food store

What you need

• 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers, or 2 tea bags
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup blackberries or other berries such as blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, muddled
• Ice cubes
• white grape juice concentrate
• Sparkling water or club soda, optional
• Mint for garnish, optional

Modifications

Here are some ideas to make this drink your own

• Add a splash of lemon juice or orange juice to add more summery citrus flavors
• Use homemade lemonade instead of grape juice to make a very berry hibiscus lemonade
• Use different kinds of berries for an immunity and Vitamin C boost
• Use green tea or black tea instead of green coffee extract
• Use dried hibiscus flowers

Make the berry refresher base

The berry refresher base is made of green coffee extract, a natural source of energy, and real fruit juice.

Hibiscus syrup

You can also make this syrup from hibiscus tea bags or dried hibiscus flowers

Using hibiscus tea bags

1. Steep hibiscus tea bags in 2 cups of boiling water for 5-8 minutes.
2. Add sugar, and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
3. Once boiling, turn off heat and allow mixture to steep for at least 20 minutes.
4. Strain syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a tightly fitted container.
5. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Using dried hibiscus flowers

1. Add dried hibiscus flowers, sugar, and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
2. Once boiling, turn off heat and allow mixture to steep for at least 20 minutes.
3. Strain syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a tightly fitted container.
4. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

How to prepare this drink

To make this drink add muddled berries, ice cubes and hibiscus syrup. Stir and add to a pitcher or pour into individual glasses. Add the optional green coffee beans.

A quick way to make this is using tea bags and syrup. To make this drink from tea bags, steep tea, let it cool. Once cooled, add juice, sweetener, ice, blackberries, and shake it up. Add the optional green coffee beans.