Starbucks Copycat Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher

Last Updated on January 3, 2025 by Karen

Make this Starbucks favorite, Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher, right at home! It’s a light, crisp and thirst-quenching, perfect as a great afternoon pick me up.

I’ve been cutting back on coffee for almost six weeks now and it’s been a good change so far! As a benefit, I no longer need to turn on the coffee machine every morning and rely on a cup to wake me up in the morning, so my coffee shop visits have definitely been far and few in between.

Occasionally I would need a little pick me up to beat the afternoon lull, so I love going to Starbucks for their fruit refresher drinks and other tea-based drink. They are such a thirst quencher, especially for this time of the year. My favorite flavor is definitely the very berry hibiscus refresher. Check out the links below for more Starbucks copycat recipes, including the ever so popular Strawberry Acai Refresher.

I have been seeing dried hibiscus flowers at my grocery store, so I thought…why not make my own refresher drink? So here we are, I’ve got this copycat Starbucks Very Berry Hibiscus refresher recipe for you today and it’s super simple! And guess what? It’s so easy and affordable to make it at home, so you don’t need to pay $5 for this specialty drink.

What is Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher?

Starbucks Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher is a caffeinated cold drink made with natural flavors from hibiscus flowers, pieces of muddled whole blackberries, and green coffee extract to give it an extra boost. The key ingredient is the berry hibiscus syrup.

Is Starbucks Very Berry Hibiscus discontinued?

Yes, this beverage is currently not on the Starbucks menu. You can find the the Very Berry Hibiscus VIA Refresher at the store, but note that the flavor is a bit different from the storebought drink. If you’re a fan of the Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher, give this homemade version a try!

What are hibiscus flowers?

Hibiscus flowers are used in teas made around the world, from Central America to Asia. Teas infused with hibiscus flowers are tart on its own, with a beautiful ruby red color. It’s usually served chilled with the addition of sugar to help balance the natural tartness of the hibiscus. Recently, hibiscus has been added to many ready made teas due to its high levels of antioxidants.

If you haven’t used hibiscus flowers before, here’s what they look like:

Where can you buy dried hibiscus flower?

Dried hibiscus flowers can usually be found in health food store like Whole Foods and Sprouts Market. They’re sometimes sold as “flor de Jamaica” at the grocery stores. If you can’t find it at your store, you can also get these dried organic hibiscus flowers here.

I like to use whole hibiscus flowers for the best flavors, but if you can’t find them, you can use hibiscus tea bags. They usually come in single-serve packets (found in the herbal tea section), and may be mixed with other ingredients like sweet ginger or lemongrass flavors. Note that they may have hints of hibiscus flavors and are usually not as strong as you would get from dried whole hibiscus flowers.

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher copycat recipe:

Hibiscus flowers: Hibiscus flowers are known for their vibrant red color and tangy, floral flavor, often used in teas and beverages. They are rich in antioxidants and may support heart health and hydration.

Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to this drink recipe and helps balance the tart flavors of the hibiscus flowers. You can substitute with sugar alternatives, honey, or maple syrup. See more on this below:

Water: Serves as a base for the hibiscus syrup.

Blackberries: Fresh or frozen for the tangy blackberry flavor. You can also substitute with other berries such as raspberries and blueberries.

Green coffee extract powder: The green coffee bean extract in Starbucks Refreshers is a specially formulated ingredient made from unroasted (green) coffee beans. The green coffee extract provides a light, natural energy without the strong roasted coffee flavor. Green coffee bean powder is a good way to add natural caffeine boost without coffee flavors. I have not listed the amount of extract in the recipe below so you can decide the right amount of caffeine to use.

What can you use instead of green coffee extract powder?

Instead of using green coffee extract powder in the refresher, you can use green tea for the caffeine. Either green tea bags or loose tea leaves work, just make sure you brew it at the proper temperature. Green tea is best brewed with 175F water and steeped for 1-5 minutes, depending on how strong you like it. The longer you steep it, the stronger the flavor. Just be careful about leaving the tea leaves in the water for too long, as it will develop bitter flavors.

You will need to steep the green tea bags in the hibiscus syrup and let it cool to room temperature before mixing with the muddled berries and ice cubes.

How to make Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher

1. Make a hibiscus syrup by adding dried hibiscus flowers, sugar, and cup of water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture to steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain syrup into a mason jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. To make the refresher drink, add muddled fresh blackberries, ice cubes and hibiscus syrup to a pitcher or divide into individual glasses. Stir in the green coffee extract if using.

3. Top with sparkling water and garnish with lime wedges.

Can this Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher be made ahead of time?

Once you make a batch of this hibiscus simple syrup, you can store it in the fridge for up to two weeks and make yourself a glass for a great afternoon pick me up, or whenever you want something cool and refreshing! You can also pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze for longer storage. Sometimes I’ll even blend up this drink into a slushy mix – it’s really perfect for the summer.

Is this drink caffeinated?

No, the original Starbucks Refresher drink is caffeinated but my recipe here is not. If you prefer a caffeinated version, you can add a tablespoon of powdered green coffee extract to this recipe for a caffeine boost (such as this or this one). Green coffee is coffee beans that have not been roasted and does not taste like traditional coffee at all. The extract is made by soaking arabica beans and extracting the caffeine during the process.

Can you make a keto-friendly version of this Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher?

Of course! You can simply simmer the water and hibiscus flowers without the sugar. After steeping and straining the mixture through a sieve, stir in an alternative sweetener of your choice (equivalent to the sweetness of one cup of sugar). That would turn this Refresher into a low calorie Starbucks drink.

I’ve tried this with Splenda, and others have reported success making this drink with stevia leaf extract (liquid or powder form), monk fruit sweetener, and erythritol (Swerve).

Can you make a single serving of this Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher?

Yes, you can make your own refresher brew packets for single serving iced tea! The best way is to add all the ingredients you need (hibiscus flowers, sugar, green tea leaves or green coffee extract powder) in a brew pouch, then steep in hot water. Add muddled berries and ice once it is cooled.

What other drink can you make with this?

You can use this hibiscus simple syrup to make another Starbucks favorite: Very Berry Hibiscus Lemonade Refresher! So basically you can make two different drinks out of this syrup. Just add muddled berries, ice cubes, squeeze of lemon juice (or a splash of lemonade if you want it to be more sweet), and hibiscus syrup to taste.

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{Starbucks Copycat} Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher

Make this Starbucks favorite, Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher, right at home! It's a light, crisp and thirst-quenching, perfect as a great afternoon pick me up. 

Course Drinks

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Karen @ The Tasty Bite

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup blackberries or other berries such as blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, muddled
• green coffee extract powder as needed
• Ice cubes
• Sparkling water or club soda
• Lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

• Add dried hibiscus flowers, sugar, and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, turn off heat and allow mixture to steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a tightly fitted container. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• To make refresher, add muddled berries, ice cubes and hibiscus syrup to a pitcher or divide into individual glasses.
• Top with sparkling water and garnish with lime wedges.

If you like this recipe, you should check out my other Starbucks copycat recipes:

Starbucks Copycat Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher

Starbucks Copycat Chocolate Cream Cold Brew

Starbucks Copycat Chocolate Cream Cold Brew

Starbucks Copycat Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher