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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Berries, hibiscus, and lemonade. That’s my type of refresher. That’s what the Very Berry Hibiscus Lemonade Refresher basically is — it’s self-explanatory. Yet, even if you know the ingredients behind this colorful Starbucks refresher, every sip is striking.
Today we’re making our Starbucks copycat version for the Very Berry Hibiscus Lemonade Refresher, and although it kinda seems simple, it’s more of a challenge than you might think.
As stated on Starbucks‘ website, this refreshing drink comprises ice, lemonade, freeze-dried blackberries, and the company’s Berry Refresher Base. The first three ingredients are accessible. It’s the berry refresher base that will take a bit of skill.
We’ll need white grape juice for the drink’s base, the key to all Starbucks refreshers. We’ll also need hibiscus concentrate and powdered green coffee bean (this one adds the caffeine kick.)
If you’ve followed me as I tackle Starbucks recipes, you probably know you need to buy a bag of powdered green coffee bean, widely available online. It’s a way of adding caffeine to fruit drinks without messing with the fruit’s bright colors, as a shot of espresso would do. We’ll only use a teaspoon of the stuff, but a little goes a long way, and it’s a handy ingredient to have around.
As for the hibiscus’ floral flavors and intense ruby color, you can either boil hibiscus flowers, commonly available at Latin supermarkets or buy the concentrate, which is already sweetened. All-natural is obviously the best option, but we don’t always have the time to brew hibiscus flowers, especially if we only want to make ourselves a glass of Very Berry.
I’m using hibiscus concentrate for the recipe below, but if you go for the real flower infusion, just adjust it with sugar to taste.
Now, I know there are plenty of readymade lemonades out there, but come on, we can do our own with freshly squeezed lemons, don’t you think?
For every cup of water, add an ounce of lemon juice and a teaspoon of sugar. Adjust the sweetness if you like, and that’s it — homemade lemonade that’ll make our Very Berry Hibiscus Lemonade Refresher even better than the original.
In a shaker or a lidded coffee cup, add all the ingredients, including the ice, and shake for 10-15 seconds.
Strain the mixture in a glass with fresh ice and garnish with the freeze-dried blackberries.
