The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Spoon University.
When I moved to Los Angeles this semester, one of the first things I did was visit Erewhon. This health-oriented grocery store has exploded in popularity as of late, specifically because of its made-to-order smoothies. Not only do these smoothies look gorgeous with unique ingredients that only enhance the upscale image, like blue spirulina, but the prices have shocked customers beyond belief. Can a smoothie really be so great that it needs to cost $20? As someone who has tried these smoothies — they’re good, but no smoothie needs to be that expensive.
That’s why acai brand Oakberry’s new menu was so exciting for me. I’ve been familiar with the brand for a while, due to my friend’s love for its New York stores. The chain has existed in New York, Florida, and California, serving layered acai cups. I’ve always liked the cups more than the bowls, as it gives me more room to mix all of the layers together, which can be harder with a more stylized bowl. But this cup also invited the obvious next step of creating a line of drinks, which Oakberry has now finally done.
This new smoothie line includes six different layered drinks that dropped October 19 and are permanently a part of the menu moving forward. The flavors are Very Berry, Tropical Beats, Super Glow, Zen Matcha, Coffee Punch, and Blue Fairy. Best of all, its “Works” size, which is the typical 16 ounces, is between $10.95 and $12.95, depending on the flavor. I had the chance to try each for myself at Oakberry’s flagship location in Venice, California, which really encapsulated the aesthetic appeal of the brand. Here are my thoughts on each drink, from best to worst.
Blue Fairy
This is outwardly the most similar to an Erewhon flavor, with the blue spirulina and banana reminiscent of the recent Sabrina Carpenter smoothie. It has that distinct look, but I think the flavor is just as comparable! The fact that these also have the acai base to mix in adds so much more depth than you get with just the basic flavor. Since bananas are my favorite fruit, it’s no surprise that this topped my list.
Coffee Punch
Something I’ve noticed about coffee flavoring is that the taste is often focused on the product itself, rather than the coffee. For example, with coffee-flavored candy, the coffee flavor isn’t particularly nuanced — it just tastes like an allusion to the drink that’s familiar enough to recognize. But with the inclusion of the premium coffee powder blended into this drink, this not only tastes like coffee, but really good coffee at that! It was incredibly rich, and the banana blended in here certainly doesn’t hurt my opinion.
Tropical Beats
Tropical Beats is meant to emulate “the ultimate taste of vacation,” which I think it definitely does, but not your typical beach vacation. This tastes like a true tropical getaway that you can’t get anywhere else. It includes the typical mango and passionfruit you’d expect from a tropical drink, but the real punch comes from the turmeric. I didn’t remember that it was in the drink until trying it, and the sour kick was a fun surprise.
Zen Matcha
I was a bit wary going into the matcha flavor, as I wasn’t sure how it would mix with acai. But the answer was surprisingly well! The flavor of the matcha definitely wasn’t as strong as the flavor of the coffee, but it was still definitely enjoyable. As someone with a slight lactose intolerance, I also always love a health food brand that uses oat milk as their default. And Oakberry does, particularly in this drink.
Super Glow
This was another drink that seems to be in direct competition with the Erewhon flavors, specifically Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie. This shares the ingredients of coconut milk, strawberries, and collagen in common for a daily skin health boost. This is very refreshing and light, and I’m sure it’s a great daily drink, but it’s a bit simple for me.
Very Berry
Very Berry features blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries, which ultimately doesn’t taste too different from the acai flavor. This makes the whole smoothie taste like just an acai drink, which absolutely isn’t a bad thing. But it is pretty bland compared to the others.