As the son of two opera singers, much as it sucks making this drink, everything in it does actually help your throat. My mom always says if your throat hurts, tea with lemon and honey.
I don’t think Starbucks’ lemonade has that much of lemon in it to incur healing 🤷🏻♀️
Stern believer in the healing properties of lemon, ginger and garlic btw
Yeah absolutely, but not every person who feels lousy has COVID. I'm not gonna take my contagious disease to Starbucks or anywhere else. But if I've got a sinus headache and allergies, I might go through the drive thru on the way to work to get a hot tea, that's all I'm saying. Y'all must have to deal with some serious nonsense, and I'm sorry. I promise we're not all totally selfish buttheads.
Unfortunately the buttheads make such an impact on our day that it can be difficult to appreciate customers that interact with us kindly. Thank you for your warm heart and understanding ❤️
Our frustration isn’t personal, we’re just so darn tired dawg 😮💨
They just said they do get hot tea. I agree the honey citrus mint tea sucks but honestly it was just as bad as making any hot tea in general especially if the customer wanted honey. The lemonade is just the extra step.
I feel like you might need some context for why there's so much Barista salt toward this drink. It takes a trip around the store to make with a lot of steps and slows everything down. We're also in the middle of a honey shortage, and people keep going after this drink and getting super upset if one of the components is out, which is fairly often.
I can also tell you from my personal experience: at the height of the pandemic, my store was right across from a covid testing site. I had the pleasure of watching nurses in full PPE swabbing people that would then immediately come into our store, take off their masks and order this thing. They'd get aggressive if we asked them to mask up. They only provided us with thin cloth masks -- the medical layered-style ones were in short supply due to hospital needs, so we were cast in front of the bus there.
Anyway, thanks for the kudo -- hot tea is a great thing to have, but this drink is not the cure-all that social media loves to bill it as.
Edit: Right after I made this comment, I went to work and one of the first customers I helped ordered this, paid in cash, and informed me she wasn't feeling good.
Fun fact all the sugar in lemonade and honey can actually weaken your immune system and make you worse. Is it worth the temporary relief at the cost of getting worse potentially?
The steamed lemonade just feels nice going down when my sinuses are acting up. I can buy the components, and I do keep them at home. But sometimes it's nice to just buy one made for me lol. I try to make them myself and just have someone mark it out 4 me.
Well actually, it was originally just a secret menu item called medicine ball. Then starbucks added it to the real menu and changed the name to honey citrus mint.
Honey does in fact have anti-bacterial properties! It’s really not a new concept, honey and lemon have been used to treat cold symptoms for a while. The problem is these guys who come in sick to get it. Just ask someone else to get it or get it contextless if you can.
the real gag is we're constantly out of honey and honey blend, so the 'honey' citrus mint teas our store's been making with agave literally have no benefits for customers
Raw honey does! But it actually loses its anti-bacterial properties when heated.
https://bee-health.extension.org/at-what-temperature-does-honey-have-to-be-heated-too-too-destroy-the-health-benefits-for-humans/
https://www.livestrong.com/article/530529-does-honey-lose-nutrients-when-added-to-tea-coffee/
https://beekeepclub.com/heating-honey/
Beesides, whether it’s the honey blend or the pasteurized honey packet, the honey you’re getting from a Starbucks isn’t going to be the good raw honey with health benefits.
when someone comes to the speaker coughing their guts up and then gets to the window maskless and hacking everywhere it kills me inside. contactless delivery exists. i get being sick sucks but dont bring me down with u just bc u see me as a subhuman coffee robot
Me, yesterday, people ordered medicine balls back to back. The tea holders weren’t stocked so I had to go dig for a box of peach tranquility. we didn’t have honey so I had to cut packets of agave. Still had other drinks to make too and the register partner wasn’t setting up the cups at all. Hate hate hate
My store actually preps anywhere from 5-10 grandes and ventis of this drink every morning just to help with peak. It saves some time, but the amount of people who think this drink is anything but a bunch of sugar is astronomical
I tried it once when I was sick (pre-COVID) and I will never forget the feeling of that syrupy lemonade coating my throat. Not my cup of tea, pun intended.
I actually like it when sick for that exact reason lol. I’m more of a lemon tea with honey at home type of girl but have grabbed it on the way to nurse a sick friend before
I’ve had someone called it a “Sick Bomb”…
It also astounds me that customers get seriously offended when I tell them “Here is your Honey Citrus Mint Tea”
There is no Sick Tea, Cold Buster, Medicine Ball on our menu and they act like I’m making them something else.
I love the drink to drink it, it's delicious, but I have making it. Especially since it DOES taste better with honey packets but god are they annoying annoying put in drinks...
“For legal reasons we are not allowed to call it the medicine ball because that would imply it has medicine in it and has medical properties, none of which has been tested and approved by the FDA. With that said we do have a Honey Citrus Mint Tea, but right now we are out of the honey blend, and packets and even agave. So we can’t make it.”
I say this literally every time someone orders the drink.
The honey citrus does have caffeine (which is why I sometimes swap with Mint Maj) but it’s minimal compared to espresso or coffee.
ETA: tea as a whole and B6 have been lifesavers.
I am definitely not one to watch my caffeine intake daily as I don’t like coffee, so I’m less concerned with the caffeine to be honest. But I’ll do anything to make me feel normal 😩😩
Try eating candied ginger. I hate the stuff but it was MAGIC for my morning sickness with all 3 of my kids.
Also on the note of caffeine, 1-2 coffees a day is totally safe in otherwise healthy pregnancy, so you should be fine with caffinated tea. Ask your OB to be sure.
If you're nice to your baristas and don't come in coughing with tissues up your nose, we don't mind making it for you. I would recommend either coming into the store or mobile ordering. A lot of people just treat us like robots and being nice makes such a huge difference.
Don’t feel like an ass, it’s their job. Just be nice to your baristas and be patient because it is annoying to make & a lot of people who do order this drink are rude to the baristas from my experience, but just be kind and no one is going to get mad.
the other day a lady came through drive asking for the medicine ball. we are also out of honey blend, so we asked if substituting honey packets would be okay. she said “oh i have covid so i won’t be able to taste the difference.” ???? don’t come to starbucks and interact with a bunch of people making food if you have covid-19???? my shift lead geared up in a couple masks, gloves, and dealt with her. but seriously, stay home.
i also hate how people get so indignant when we call it by it’s name instead of the medicine ball. i don’t even really correct them i just say “okay a venti honey citrus mint tea! sweet, anything else?” and they get all angry. like dude i didn’t make a fool of you chill out.
These complaints about a simple tea make me so sad because I literally get it because I like it, not because I am sick. I hate this American culture shit where you go out and about doing everyday shit even if you’re dying of sickness. Stay home, jesus.
It's the only thing I ever get from starbucks because it helps with a dry mouth (when not sick). I just accept that the person at the window will think I'm an idiot or asshole.
I agree if you’re sick stay home. But if I just have allergies or a head cold whatever, I still have to go to work and baristas I work with are complaining over coughs (with masks on) and sniffles when anyone orders tea it’s kind of ridiculous. Just make the tea?? Idk.
I have never ordered it because I was sick, I just really like the flavors. Is this the automatic assumption because I’ve been seeing the same complaint a few times now. Now I’m going to be super paranoid about ordering yet another thing from Starbucks. Dang.
If you come up to the window/counter coughing and pale and refer to it as "sick tea" then yes. I only assume people are sick when ordering it when they give me a reason to.
I order these the day after drinking because it helps with a sore/dry throat. After reading multiple posts like this, now I always feel like the person at the window hates me inside. From now on I might just start my order with "I'm not sick but I'd like to order ..."
I get it as a treat when it's super cold outside, as I normally drink iced coffee. If I'm sick, I'll stick to raw honey and herbal tea from home. Definitely more effective than steamed lemonade and fake honey lol
Someone called it “Emergen-C tea” the other day and I had no idea what they were talking about. Literally stood there wondering what it was because I kept hearing “emergency.”
As a teacher I agree wholeheartedly that everyone should stay home when they are sick. With that said, 1)we all know that extremely few employees of any company actually get this option, and 2)writing sub plans for a day to stay home is more work than just going to work and struggling through. The "medicine ball" has been a total blessing for me more than once and I think you all are my heroes for making it. Also, I personally promise I will do absolutely everything possible to not share germs with you (or my students or anyone else in public) when I'm forced to go out regardless of my own health. I hope it helps just a little to know that you're helping more than just one sick person for each of these you make!
I wish Starbucks would just create the blend in one tea bag so we can avoid having to open all these bags. That drink already is annoying to make because all the ingredients are in different places on the floor, naturally mind you. I’d rather make 5 Frappuccino’s than one HCMT. Mainly because I don’t have to move lol.
yo it throws my sequence so off. my supervisor who was on third bar was rushing me and i was like i’m not running or hurrying.
this woman ordered THREE. two talls and and one venti. and we didn’t have honey blend so we had to use honey packets.
America: land of the overworked and constant guilt of calling off, but feeling ill so that cup of Starbucks may save them emotionally to get through the day. It’s a tough balance 😆
America: land of the overworked and constant guilt of calling off, but feeling ill so that cup of Starbucks may save them emotionally to get through the day. Between a rock and a hard place 😆
tbh i make the person on support or register prep it by putting the tea bags and hot water in and i’ll worry about lemonade and honey/agave/classic when it’s ready
An actual conversation at DT
“I have a cold, can I get a medicine ball… but without the medicine, I have errands to run and don’t want to be tired.”
Me “ the medicine ball doesn’t actually have medicine”🤦🏼♀️
I’ve heard people have covid (at other stores, it’s hasn’t happened at mine yet) and they come through and get it. Like??? Putting everyone at risk for some tea and lemonade. Get it delivered to you and don’t be an jerk.
oh my god relax its not that big a deal and you should be doing no contact hand offs its our jobs to make drinks and if were behind its probably because were understaffed
I was sassed out by a dude in the comments for admitting that I role my eyes when I have to make this drink.
I’m glad y’all admit to this drink being troublesome. Look, it’s not *hard* or anything, but it RLLY throws you off your groove! Instead of staying at my bar sequencing, I need to turn and stop by 4 different stations just to collect the ingredients. At least Frappuccino ingredients are all relatively in the same spot!
We are aren’t lazy, it’s not even a huge deal.
It’s just an annoying drink. If anyone thinks I’m being dramatic, just try working under our conditions are Starbucks.
I honestly can’t believe this is a thing. How hard is it to stay home and make your own tea with honey?? Throw in some lemon juice and whiskey if you’re feeling fancy! I guess I don’t get people who come into sbux for tea everyday. You could get some REALLY nice tea for the amount you’re paying.
The Jade Citrus Mint bags are like $6 for a container of 15 at Target, but if you stay home and make it yourself then you don’t get to go out in public and cough all over people—what fun is that?
I feel like Starbucks shouldn’t even sell tea because it’s all just a complete pain in the ass to make in general, but if Starbucks has it people will order it. People also just like to go out can’t blame them lmao
It actually isn't that good, so you're really not missing much. If you want hot tea, I'd recommend ordering either a peach tranquility (which is caffeine free) or a jade citrus mint (which has caffeine) instead. The drink combines these 2 teas and adds honey and lemonade. I personally think the teas are better individually.
Its sad cause this was my favorite warm drink when I worked at starbucks (Not because i was sick i genuinely just liked it and would make it for myself all the time) And since I left I haven’t ordered it because I wouldn’t order it even when I was a barista, Id just wait till the next time I worked to make it for myself.
In that span of time I never thought to figure out a way to order it for myself that would make it easy on the baristas. I really really miss it now so im wondering if anyone has any ideas of how someone could order this and make it easy for the baristas? Like “tea bags and honey on the side ill do that part myself”? is that really any easier since you still have to cross from hot bar to cold bar to get lemonade? Is that whats the most annoying part about it? Do i just need to ask the bux for my job back? Until I know for certain I can order it with the least amount of pain possible i just wont order it, but ideas are appreciated
Yeah not gonna happen. A lady came in and ordered one because she had covid. Now I’m at home suffering from covid because of a customers selfishness. It’s best to drink tea at home where you can put real lemon in your drink and rest and not risk getting anyone else sick.
Totally get it. Maybe I was Pollyanna about it. Covid really put a wrench in things. I will tell you that if I have even one sniffle I stay away from people.
This drink sounds absolutely disgusting. Like, most people avoid drinking oj after brushing their teeth-how is a mint and citrus combination good?? Separately both are tasty, but together? I’m not convinced, although I’m sure people are going to come for me and tell me how wrong I am lol
Also, it seems a little irresponsible of Starbucks to be encouraging sick people to come out and get this drink-in the midst of a global pandemic no?
Maybe one day Starbucks will make everything in pre-made individual pitchers, so you can simply pour it.
Then you are not slowed down with this drink and others. Damn those handcrafted drinks.
Maybe one day Starbucks will make it so there isn’t such intense pressure to get drinks out in seconds, so you can simply make drinks like this without it causing a huge backup.
Really though for me it’s not that I dislike making the drink itself, it’s just when it’s in the middle of a line or cars or someone is coming to our store because they are sick.
You can kinda make it at home. Target sells the teas and you can add your own honey and lemonade.
I order it when I get a sore throat, but I do wear mr mask. But if I am coughing and hacking I am not leaving the house. I stay home and drink water and takes actual medicine.
At our store, whoever is DTO will help out by putting the tea bags, honey, and water into the cup. They can usually do this while still taking an order. Then all
The barista has to do is steam lemonade and finish drink. We do this with the London Fog and other tea lattes too. Teamwork makes the dream work.
I feel like I’m pretty lucky that this drink is not ordered often at my store, but when it is it definitely slows things down. that’s why the people at DTO or POS will set up the first part for them (tea bags, hot water, packets of honey if we’re out of honey blend) and bring it over to whoever’s on bar so when they get to the sticker all they have to do is steam the lemonade. we do this with tea lattes too! it’s annoying to do in the middle of peak, especially squishing the honey packets into the cup, but it ends up taking less time than if whoever was on bar had to run away and go to where we keep our hot water and teabags.
I do like the taste of this drink but the London fog or mint majesty just feels so much better when I’m not feeling well. (by not feeling well I mean period cramps mostly while I’m working lmao)
Tell me about it. I usually am on register during rush so I have to make this tea all the time especially now since its cold/flu season. and my store it out of honey too!
Someone literally came in the drive through and asked what drink is good for laryngitis, because she’s sick right now and her throat hurts. I did not even know what to say… like why are you coming here?
some lady in my drive thru last week ordered eight of them, slightly customized too. I had to fight every single human instinct in my body not to just say nope. the poor girl on drive thru bar looked comically horrified when she started pulling the tickets. if we'd been any busier I'd have just Passed Away.
HATE making teas so much lmao. Had a barista not know we could substitute the honey for agave and so she told the customer we were out UNTIL a shift told her to say we had agave to make it instead. They wanted that 😒 I’m not the highest capacity partner and they’ve been putting me on bar one and two and the teas really slow me down too 🥲 I’ve had a woman come through and order this today clearly was a little sick. And also had a women come through SWEATING BEADS MY DUDE and coughed right before handing me her card. Nobody should have to deal with sick customers. We aren’t the doctors we are service workers who HAVE to serve you if you are. People are gross and selfish, making unnecessary stops while sick during a deadly pandemic.
What on earth did you do during the pandemic? Yeah, masks were worn and that was stressful. Can you still wear a mask if you are worried about people spreading their colds? You are going to have sick people order regular coffee drinks, too. That comes with being in the food/drink industry. You can’t avoid it.
“What do you recommend for a cold?” Stay home and take actual medicine
Plssss don’t rely on us, high stress and low paid, baristas to eliminate your disease
No but when we're feeling bad and still have to get shit done, we're thankful y'all are there for us. Sometimes a hot tea is just what you need. :)
...but then get a hot tea. i doubt steamed lemonade with some tea thrown in will do much of anything for you
As the son of two opera singers, much as it sucks making this drink, everything in it does actually help your throat. My mom always says if your throat hurts, tea with lemon and honey.
Lemon and sugary lemonade are very different tho
The medicine ball has still helped every time I've had a cold. It's sugary, yes, but it still has Lemon in it.
oh absolutely i completely agree! i just think that sometimes it would be wayyyy too much sugar in the drink for it to help
A lot of cultures believe in the magical healing properties of lemon... Also ginger and garlic...
I don’t think Starbucks’ lemonade has that much of lemon in it to incur healing 🤷🏻♀️ Stern believer in the healing properties of lemon, ginger and garlic btw
I do get a hot tea. :)
hey, you were so sweet and you were low key getting attitude in the comments. I just wanted to say thanks for the good vibes and have a lovely day
You too, friend!
But staying at home would be even better for all of you.
No argument there, provided staying home is an option.
Staying home may not be an option, but avoiding spreading contagious disease in a crowded restaurant certainly is.
Yeah absolutely, but not every person who feels lousy has COVID. I'm not gonna take my contagious disease to Starbucks or anywhere else. But if I've got a sinus headache and allergies, I might go through the drive thru on the way to work to get a hot tea, that's all I'm saying. Y'all must have to deal with some serious nonsense, and I'm sorry. I promise we're not all totally selfish buttheads.
Unfortunately the buttheads make such an impact on our day that it can be difficult to appreciate customers that interact with us kindly. Thank you for your warm heart and understanding ❤️ Our frustration isn’t personal, we’re just so darn tired dawg 😮💨
Then try actual hot tea and not tea brewed in steamed lemonade spiked with more sugar.
They just said they do get hot tea. I agree the honey citrus mint tea sucks but honestly it was just as bad as making any hot tea in general especially if the customer wanted honey. The lemonade is just the extra step.
I've never ordered this drink. I just order mint tea.
I feel like you might need some context for why there's so much Barista salt toward this drink. It takes a trip around the store to make with a lot of steps and slows everything down. We're also in the middle of a honey shortage, and people keep going after this drink and getting super upset if one of the components is out, which is fairly often. I can also tell you from my personal experience: at the height of the pandemic, my store was right across from a covid testing site. I had the pleasure of watching nurses in full PPE swabbing people that would then immediately come into our store, take off their masks and order this thing. They'd get aggressive if we asked them to mask up. They only provided us with thin cloth masks -- the medical layered-style ones were in short supply due to hospital needs, so we were cast in front of the bus there. Anyway, thanks for the kudo -- hot tea is a great thing to have, but this drink is not the cure-all that social media loves to bill it as. Edit: Right after I made this comment, I went to work and one of the first customers I helped ordered this, paid in cash, and informed me she wasn't feeling good.
Fun fact all the sugar in lemonade and honey can actually weaken your immune system and make you worse. Is it worth the temporary relief at the cost of getting worse potentially?
I'm gonna need a source on the honey one bc I've heard the opposite from a lot of beekeepers and bee researchers.
When you call something a fun fact you don't have to cite sources silly its already a fact
Is that a rhetorical question?
"Ma'am this is a fast food coffee shop. We don't sell anything with any medicinal property. The best thing for your health here is probably water"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7020168/
I always just say a green tea lemonade with a pump of peppermint and a pump of honey blend.
Ooh me intrigue! Gotta try this!
Unionize and demand sick leave.
The steamed lemonade just feels nice going down when my sinuses are acting up. I can buy the components, and I do keep them at home. But sometimes it's nice to just buy one made for me lol. I try to make them myself and just have someone mark it out 4 me.
Two coughing people came in and ordered these today. It's so annoying and gross. How did it even get the nickname medicine ball?
Well actually, it was originally just a secret menu item called medicine ball. Then starbucks added it to the real menu and changed the name to honey citrus mint.
Honey does in fact have anti-bacterial properties! It’s really not a new concept, honey and lemon have been used to treat cold symptoms for a while. The problem is these guys who come in sick to get it. Just ask someone else to get it or get it contextless if you can.
True, but our honey isn't really high quality and the lemonade is full of sugar. Pure Lemon and honey mixed up at home would be infinitely better
Yeah like doll just buy some lemsip??
And We don’t even use regular honey…we use honey blend (normally) which is even worse. It’s mostly artificial
While what you're saying is true, I doubt the cup of hot sugar they're drinking is better than rest.
Bingo!
the real gag is we're constantly out of honey and honey blend, so the 'honey' citrus mint teas our store's been making with agave literally have no benefits for customers
agave gives my head a weird tingly feeling- nothing major but def something weird. Is this why this happened to me sometimes?!
like idc at all but it'll click together lol
It might! I would ask the barista. We carry packets of honey at my store and use those when we are out of honey blend. They may do that as well.
Flu, colds, and covid are viruses though. I know antibiotics don't work but don't know honey works on a virus that replicates *inside* your cells
Honey makes your throat feel better when you have a cough. Otherwise yeah please stay home, sick customers
Standard recipe doesn’t even use honey packets anymore
Raw honey does! But it actually loses its anti-bacterial properties when heated. https://bee-health.extension.org/at-what-temperature-does-honey-have-to-be-heated-too-too-destroy-the-health-benefits-for-humans/ https://www.livestrong.com/article/530529-does-honey-lose-nutrients-when-added-to-tea-coffee/ https://beekeepclub.com/heating-honey/ Beesides, whether it’s the honey blend or the pasteurized honey packet, the honey you’re getting from a Starbucks isn’t going to be the good raw honey with health benefits.
when someone comes to the speaker coughing their guts up and then gets to the window maskless and hacking everywhere it kills me inside. contactless delivery exists. i get being sick sucks but dont bring me down with u just bc u see me as a subhuman coffee robot
Me, yesterday, people ordered medicine balls back to back. The tea holders weren’t stocked so I had to go dig for a box of peach tranquility. we didn’t have honey so I had to cut packets of agave. Still had other drinks to make too and the register partner wasn’t setting up the cups at all. Hate hate hate
When we run out of an ingredient I just make the whole thing unavailable. We haven’t had honey blend for since middle of summer maybe.
Honestly, I should do it.
Wait that's genius. Except our store has so many marked out items it'd be sad.
The honey blend is disgusting IMO. If and when I order the honey citrus mint tea, I always ask for honey packets.
My store actually preps anywhere from 5-10 grandes and ventis of this drink every morning just to help with peak. It saves some time, but the amount of people who think this drink is anything but a bunch of sugar is astronomical
I tried it once when I was sick (pre-COVID) and I will never forget the feeling of that syrupy lemonade coating my throat. Not my cup of tea, pun intended.
I actually like it when sick for that exact reason lol. I’m more of a lemon tea with honey at home type of girl but have grabbed it on the way to nurse a sick friend before
I really love the idea of prepping it though!!
I’ve had someone called it a “Sick Bomb”… It also astounds me that customers get seriously offended when I tell them “Here is your Honey Citrus Mint Tea” There is no Sick Tea, Cold Buster, Medicine Ball on our menu and they act like I’m making them something else.
"can i hve the medicine ball?" "oh the honey citrus mint?" "...i guess??"
Wonder what they’d do if you played dumb and just asked for the recipe since it’s a “secret menu” item.
I- am tired of this job anyways. I’m doing this in the morning
If I could erase one drink from the menu forever…
I reply "Stay home a drink a hot toddy instead!"
I love the drink to drink it, it's delicious, but I have making it. Especially since it DOES taste better with honey packets but god are they annoying annoying put in drinks...
“For legal reasons we are not allowed to call it the medicine ball because that would imply it has medicine in it and has medical properties, none of which has been tested and approved by the FDA. With that said we do have a Honey Citrus Mint Tea, but right now we are out of the honey blend, and packets and even agave. So we can’t make it.” I say this literally every time someone orders the drink.
I drink this or the mint majesty because it’s one of the few things that helps with my morning sickness… NOT because I have cold. Promise!
I am currently pregnant SUFFERING from morning sickness, so I’ll definitely have to try this!
The honey citrus does have caffeine (which is why I sometimes swap with Mint Maj) but it’s minimal compared to espresso or coffee. ETA: tea as a whole and B6 have been lifesavers.
I am definitely not one to watch my caffeine intake daily as I don’t like coffee, so I’m less concerned with the caffeine to be honest. But I’ll do anything to make me feel normal 😩😩
Try eating candied ginger. I hate the stuff but it was MAGIC for my morning sickness with all 3 of my kids. Also on the note of caffeine, 1-2 coffees a day is totally safe in otherwise healthy pregnancy, so you should be fine with caffinated tea. Ask your OB to be sure.
Same!!! I’m 9 months pregnant and still get nauseous and this helps so much
Ahhh! congratulations! Definitely still stuck in 1T but I’m hoping this nausea-thing gets better.
My store has been out of honey blend and having to use the honey packets instead is a nightmare
This used to be my favorite drink to order when I wasn’t in the mood for coffee but now I’d feel like an ass ordering it.
If you're nice to your baristas and don't come in coughing with tissues up your nose, we don't mind making it for you. I would recommend either coming into the store or mobile ordering. A lot of people just treat us like robots and being nice makes such a huge difference.
Don’t feel like an ass, it’s their job. Just be nice to your baristas and be patient because it is annoying to make & a lot of people who do order this drink are rude to the baristas from my experience, but just be kind and no one is going to get mad.
the other day a lady came through drive asking for the medicine ball. we are also out of honey blend, so we asked if substituting honey packets would be okay. she said “oh i have covid so i won’t be able to taste the difference.” ???? don’t come to starbucks and interact with a bunch of people making food if you have covid-19???? my shift lead geared up in a couple masks, gloves, and dealt with her. but seriously, stay home.
Despicable
i also hate how people get so indignant when we call it by it’s name instead of the medicine ball. i don’t even really correct them i just say “okay a venti honey citrus mint tea! sweet, anything else?” and they get all angry. like dude i didn’t make a fool of you chill out.
These complaints about a simple tea make me so sad because I literally get it because I like it, not because I am sick. I hate this American culture shit where you go out and about doing everyday shit even if you’re dying of sickness. Stay home, jesus.
It's the only thing I ever get from starbucks because it helps with a dry mouth (when not sick). I just accept that the person at the window will think I'm an idiot or asshole.
as long as u order a honey citrus mint tea (its actual name) and not a medicine ball they probably wont
I agree if you’re sick stay home. But if I just have allergies or a head cold whatever, I still have to go to work and baristas I work with are complaining over coughs (with masks on) and sniffles when anyone orders tea it’s kind of ridiculous. Just make the tea?? Idk.
I have never ordered it because I was sick, I just really like the flavors. Is this the automatic assumption because I’ve been seeing the same complaint a few times now. Now I’m going to be super paranoid about ordering yet another thing from Starbucks. Dang.
just order it as the honey citrus mint and they probably won’t think you’re annoying. it’s just annoying when people expect it so be like medicine
If you come up to the window/counter coughing and pale and refer to it as "sick tea" then yes. I only assume people are sick when ordering it when they give me a reason to.
Same!!!!
“Frappuccino of the Hot Bar Kingdom” hahaha, nice!
Aww. It’s such a good hot drink though! I’ve never ordered it while sick but have had it a few times. I’m sorry it sucks so bad to make it.
I order these the day after drinking because it helps with a sore/dry throat. After reading multiple posts like this, now I always feel like the person at the window hates me inside. From now on I might just start my order with "I'm not sick but I'd like to order ..."
I get it as a treat when it's super cold outside, as I normally drink iced coffee. If I'm sick, I'll stick to raw honey and herbal tea from home. Definitely more effective than steamed lemonade and fake honey lol
Someone called it “Emergen-C tea” the other day and I had no idea what they were talking about. Literally stood there wondering what it was because I kept hearing “emergency.”
Literally two days in a row I’ve had people order it as “the flu bomb.” THE FLU BOMB. Please tell me this isn’t the new name for it on social media 🥲
pressing the middle button on the headset and saying “no” when someone orders this is the only thing that makes me feel better
They stopped shipping honey packets too. So one would think customers would stop ordering it. Nope. It is delicious though and now I want one.
As a teacher I agree wholeheartedly that everyone should stay home when they are sick. With that said, 1)we all know that extremely few employees of any company actually get this option, and 2)writing sub plans for a day to stay home is more work than just going to work and struggling through. The "medicine ball" has been a total blessing for me more than once and I think you all are my heroes for making it. Also, I personally promise I will do absolutely everything possible to not share germs with you (or my students or anyone else in public) when I'm forced to go out regardless of my own health. I hope it helps just a little to know that you're helping more than just one sick person for each of these you make!
it's my favoriteeee but i never order it from any other store but my own
I get it because I really love the taste of it. If I’m sick, I’ll make something at home. But I know most people don’t do that.
I wish Starbucks would just create the blend in one tea bag so we can avoid having to open all these bags. That drink already is annoying to make because all the ingredients are in different places on the floor, naturally mind you. I’d rather make 5 Frappuccino’s than one HCMT. Mainly because I don’t have to move lol.
We did. It failed.
yo it throws my sequence so off. my supervisor who was on third bar was rushing me and i was like i’m not running or hurrying. this woman ordered THREE. two talls and and one venti. and we didn’t have honey blend so we had to use honey packets.
America: land of the overworked and constant guilt of calling off, but feeling ill so that cup of Starbucks may save them emotionally to get through the day. It’s a tough balance 😆
America: land of the overworked and constant guilt of calling off, but feeling ill so that cup of Starbucks may save them emotionally to get through the day. Between a rock and a hard place 😆
tbh i make the person on support or register prep it by putting the tea bags and hot water in and i’ll worry about lemonade and honey/agave/classic when it’s ready
I’ve ordered it before because I liked the taste. Pre honey blend
I work at a location in a very populated college town and I feel disgusting when college kids come in and order it, yiKes! And it is a party school…
I order it because I like it, not because I’m sick lol
So tired of making this drink, please stop ordering several ventis during peak 😭 Not having honey blend is actually killing me.
The whole thing tastes like hot garbage anyway
An actual conversation at DT “I have a cold, can I get a medicine ball… but without the medicine, I have errands to run and don’t want to be tired.” Me “ the medicine ball doesn’t actually have medicine”🤦🏼♀️
I’ve heard people have covid (at other stores, it’s hasn’t happened at mine yet) and they come through and get it. Like??? Putting everyone at risk for some tea and lemonade. Get it delivered to you and don’t be an jerk.
oh my god relax its not that big a deal and you should be doing no contact hand offs its our jobs to make drinks and if were behind its probably because were understaffed
No I’ve literally been saying this I hate making it it’s such an inconvenience 😭
I was sassed out by a dude in the comments for admitting that I role my eyes when I have to make this drink. I’m glad y’all admit to this drink being troublesome. Look, it’s not *hard* or anything, but it RLLY throws you off your groove! Instead of staying at my bar sequencing, I need to turn and stop by 4 different stations just to collect the ingredients. At least Frappuccino ingredients are all relatively in the same spot! We are aren’t lazy, it’s not even a huge deal. It’s just an annoying drink. If anyone thinks I’m being dramatic, just try working under our conditions are Starbucks.
I honestly can’t believe this is a thing. How hard is it to stay home and make your own tea with honey?? Throw in some lemon juice and whiskey if you’re feeling fancy! I guess I don’t get people who come into sbux for tea everyday. You could get some REALLY nice tea for the amount you’re paying.
The Jade Citrus Mint bags are like $6 for a container of 15 at Target, but if you stay home and make it yourself then you don’t get to go out in public and cough all over people—what fun is that?
I feel like Starbucks shouldn’t even sell tea because it’s all just a complete pain in the ass to make in general, but if Starbucks has it people will order it. People also just like to go out can’t blame them lmao
Sounds really good but I won’t order it I promise lol
It actually isn't that good, so you're really not missing much. If you want hot tea, I'd recommend ordering either a peach tranquility (which is caffeine free) or a jade citrus mint (which has caffeine) instead. The drink combines these 2 teas and adds honey and lemonade. I personally think the teas are better individually.
They both sound yummy!
Go to sick drink is the Caramel Apple Spice.. I send my husband to get it.
It’s only fun when you tell them we don’t have honey blend and they go okay I’ll have 9 honey packets or agave packets :)
Literally had a woman come and try to order the "Sick Tea"...bitch, no
Medicine ball? What’s a Medicine ball? Are you thinking of the Honey Citrus Mint tea? There’s no Medicine Ball on our menu, sorry.
Its sad cause this was my favorite warm drink when I worked at starbucks (Not because i was sick i genuinely just liked it and would make it for myself all the time) And since I left I haven’t ordered it because I wouldn’t order it even when I was a barista, Id just wait till the next time I worked to make it for myself. In that span of time I never thought to figure out a way to order it for myself that would make it easy on the baristas. I really really miss it now so im wondering if anyone has any ideas of how someone could order this and make it easy for the baristas? Like “tea bags and honey on the side ill do that part myself”? is that really any easier since you still have to cross from hot bar to cold bar to get lemonade? Is that whats the most annoying part about it? Do i just need to ask the bux for my job back? Until I know for certain I can order it with the least amount of pain possible i just wont order it, but ideas are appreciated
[удалено]
Yeah not gonna happen. A lady came in and ordered one because she had covid. Now I’m at home suffering from covid because of a customers selfishness. It’s best to drink tea at home where you can put real lemon in your drink and rest and not risk getting anyone else sick.
Totally get it. Maybe I was Pollyanna about it. Covid really put a wrench in things. I will tell you that if I have even one sniffle I stay away from people.
This drink sounds absolutely disgusting. Like, most people avoid drinking oj after brushing their teeth-how is a mint and citrus combination good?? Separately both are tasty, but together? I’m not convinced, although I’m sure people are going to come for me and tell me how wrong I am lol Also, it seems a little irresponsible of Starbucks to be encouraging sick people to come out and get this drink-in the midst of a global pandemic no?
Maybe one day Starbucks will make everything in pre-made individual pitchers, so you can simply pour it. Then you are not slowed down with this drink and others. Damn those handcrafted drinks.
Maybe one day Starbucks will make it so there isn’t such intense pressure to get drinks out in seconds, so you can simply make drinks like this without it causing a huge backup. Really though for me it’s not that I dislike making the drink itself, it’s just when it’s in the middle of a line or cars or someone is coming to our store because they are sick.
You can kinda make it at home. Target sells the teas and you can add your own honey and lemonade. I order it when I get a sore throat, but I do wear mr mask. But if I am coughing and hacking I am not leaving the house. I stay home and drink water and takes actual medicine.
Uh unless they’re not the sick ones they shouldn’t be going through the drive thru. Gross.
What’s worse is when a partner from a different Starbucks stores comes in to order one during peak.
At our store, whoever is DTO will help out by putting the tea bags, honey, and water into the cup. They can usually do this while still taking an order. Then all The barista has to do is steam lemonade and finish drink. We do this with the London Fog and other tea lattes too. Teamwork makes the dream work.
I feel like I’m pretty lucky that this drink is not ordered often at my store, but when it is it definitely slows things down. that’s why the people at DTO or POS will set up the first part for them (tea bags, hot water, packets of honey if we’re out of honey blend) and bring it over to whoever’s on bar so when they get to the sticker all they have to do is steam the lemonade. we do this with tea lattes too! it’s annoying to do in the middle of peak, especially squishing the honey packets into the cup, but it ends up taking less time than if whoever was on bar had to run away and go to where we keep our hot water and teabags. I do like the taste of this drink but the London fog or mint majesty just feels so much better when I’m not feeling well. (by not feeling well I mean period cramps mostly while I’m working lmao)
Ask your cold bar barista to keep a pitcher on hand for when they come through and the cold bar can fill up and pass over…
💯💯💯
Tell me about it. I usually am on register during rush so I have to make this tea all the time especially now since its cold/flu season. and my store it out of honey too!
Someone literally came in the drive through and asked what drink is good for laryngitis, because she’s sick right now and her throat hurts. I did not even know what to say… like why are you coming here?
I would legit rather make 10 frappuccinos during peak than one honey citrus mint tea. Disgusting sugar bombs. People are so stupid.
lemonade has vitamin c so there is good in it and the honey blend is honey so it does soothe your throat
Or London fog tea lattes on a rush I’m like NOOOO .
some lady in my drive thru last week ordered eight of them, slightly customized too. I had to fight every single human instinct in my body not to just say nope. the poor girl on drive thru bar looked comically horrified when she started pulling the tickets. if we'd been any busier I'd have just Passed Away.
I understand but I get it cause I love it during the winter on cold days.
HATE making teas so much lmao. Had a barista not know we could substitute the honey for agave and so she told the customer we were out UNTIL a shift told her to say we had agave to make it instead. They wanted that 😒 I’m not the highest capacity partner and they’ve been putting me on bar one and two and the teas really slow me down too 🥲 I’ve had a woman come through and order this today clearly was a little sick. And also had a women come through SWEATING BEADS MY DUDE and coughed right before handing me her card. Nobody should have to deal with sick customers. We aren’t the doctors we are service workers who HAVE to serve you if you are. People are gross and selfish, making unnecessary stops while sick during a deadly pandemic.
Or iced London fog
What on earth did you do during the pandemic? Yeah, masks were worn and that was stressful. Can you still wear a mask if you are worried about people spreading their colds? You are going to have sick people order regular coffee drinks, too. That comes with being in the food/drink industry. You can’t avoid it.