Starbucks Copycat Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher

Last Updated on February 22, 2023 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 rely on a cup to wake me up in the morning, so my Starbucks visits have definitely been far and few in between.

Even though I haven’t been drinking much coffee lately, I still love going to Starbucks every so often for their fruit refresher drinks. They are such a thirst quencher, especially for this time of the year. My favorite flavor is definitely the very berry hibiscus 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 fruit juice, pieces of muddled berries, 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 flowers?

Dried hibiscus flowers can usually be found in health food stores 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.

How to make Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher

1. Make a hibiscus syrup by adding dried hibiscus flowers, sugar, and water to a 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 and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. To make the refresher drink, add muddled berries, 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 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 (liquid or powder form), monk fruit sweetener, and erythritol (Swerve).

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

Total Time 25 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
• 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