(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!
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There would be some caffeine from the green tea, but you could certainly use decaf green tea if you want to avoid caffeine.
Awesome! does this have much caffeine??