(Copycat) Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher

I happen to love Starbucks.  Usually I go for a coffee drink, my favorite being an americano, but if I’m in the mood for a cold beverage, my favorite is the very berry hibiscus refresher.  It’s lightly sweet and as the name suggests, it’s very refreshing.

My husband, Steve, and I will often walk up to our local Starbucks and now that the weather is warmer, this is a go-to drink for both of us.  We’re usually super thirsty (it’s about a 1 mile walk) when we get there and it’s a perfect thirst quencher.  But the downside of getting this at Starbucks is the cost…it’s not cheap.

So I started thinking and realized I could probably come up with a pretty close copycat version to make at home for a fraction of the cost.  I’m not exactly sure what Starbucks puts in theirs, but I decided to start with hibiscus tea for mine.  Since I know there’s caffeine in the refreshers, I also added some green tea to the mix. To sweeten mine, I used a touch of agave nectar and, of course, I didn’t forget the blackberries.  They shake theirs up, so I put mine in a martini shaker and gave it a good shake to mix everything up.

Then came the test, did it taste like a refresher?  I went to Starbucks, bought one  for “research” and put them head to head.  The result?  I think it’s a pretty close match and so did Steve, so now I’m passing it on to you!

(Copycat) Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher 

For tea:

• 3 hibiscus herbal tea bags
• 3 green tea bags
• 1 quart boiling water
• ice
• cold water

Combine tea bags and boiling water in a 2-quart pitcher.

Let tea steep for about 10 minutes.

Fill pitcher with ice and cold water.

Refrigerate.

For 16 oz refresher:

• 12 oz hibiscus-green tea
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1/4 cup blackberries (fresh or thawed frozen)
• 1 tsp agave nectar (more if you like it sweeter)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker (a martini shaker works great).

Shake for a good 20 seconds to break up the blackberries.

Pour into a glass.

ENJOY!

Shared at these great blogs:

The Country Cook