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Erewhon 2026, the complete guide: why does one smoothie cost $20?

Why is a grocery run in LA an actual plan? From a Boston basement in 1966 to the 2026 Tonic Bar: it's an organic grocery store first and a $20 smoothie second. How the celebrity collabs line up, what's in the cup, what the same drink costs elsewhere, how to work the hot bar and the cold case, and the cups I order most. LA's fanciest grocery store has an Asian stomach.
Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.
Key points
- Drink, eat, take something home: order at the Tonic Bar kiosk, then hit the hot bar and sushi case, then Erewhon's own brand and the tote
- One 20 oz cup (about 590 ml) is close to a meal, with 3 to 5 add-ins; the ingredient list is a brand list
- Celebrity names expire: Strawberry Glaze launched in 2022, and Hailey's name came off the menu in late October 2025
- Asian roots: the Kushis started with miso and soy sauce in 1966; Josephine Antoci, who runs it now, immigrated from Taiwan
- My usual is the West Hollywood store; my favorite LA matcha is Kettl, but with a grocery run I get the Island Matcha
Full text
Erewhon 2026: the complete guide
Why does one smoothie cost $20? And why is a grocery run in LA an actual plan? From Japanese macrobiotics to the LA lifestyle, LA's fanciest grocery store has an Asian stomach. Save this and open it before your next Erewhon run.
LA's upscale grocery phenomenon
Food, supplements, home goods, even outfits: a grocery run here feels like shopping for a lifestyle. In the photo, Erewhon × Filterbaby water filters on display, because even your water gets a brand. To be clear, this is an observation about this kind of store, not every Angeleno's daily life.
Erewhon, LA's "luxury grocery store"
It turns grocery shopping into a lifestyle. Top-shelf picks, celebrity regulars, hot food, drinks and fresh produce, all under one roof: the smoothies stars love, the premium picks and the tote bag that basically spells LA lifestyle. Save this, and next time in LA, don't stop at the smoothie!
First of all, it's an organic grocery store
Certified Organic Retailer. It's not just pretty smoothies: the produce wall, the fresh counters and the shelves are seriously organic too. Erewhon is a certified organic retailer, so "organic" here is something an inspector actually checked.
Store notes: drink first, eat next, take something home
Still putting the Walk of Fame on your LA itinerary? Babe, wake up. The trendiest, most celebrity-dense spot in LA right now is a grocery store (there are over a dozen in SoCal). Most of my Taiwanese friends know it for the $20 smoothie, but its roots are in Asia, and the woman running it today, Josephine Antoci, immigrated from Taiwan.
How to do it: 1) Drink first: order at the Tonic Bar kiosk. 2) Eat next: the hot bar and the sushi case. 3) Take something home: Erewhon's own brand and the tote.
Heads-up: every Tonic Bar has kiosks now, so no waiting in line for a barista; order and wait for your name.
J's note: The one I go to most is West Hollywood: close to home, new and roomy, easy to browse and easy to park. Nowhere, spelled backwards, and now everywhere in LA.Heaven for the neat freak
Every row is unreasonably tidy. A gap on the shelf gets restocked fast: take one can and the next one slides right in.
Backing the small brands
From farms and food startups to LA's next big thing, small brands get center stage here. The ones in this fridge are all independents: Sunwink (plant-based functional drinks), Unity (organic functional drinks), Vybes (mind-body balance drinks), Recess (functional sparkling water). Local farms and up-and-coming brands get the shelf space.
From a basement to an LA icon
1966: Michio and Aveline Kushi start out in Boston, in a tiny basement shop selling brown rice, miso, soy sauce and umeboshi, the beginnings of macrobiotic eating.
1969: A store opens on Beverly Blvd in LA, an early pioneer of healthy eating here.
1979: The business hits hard times, and an employee, Tom DeSilva, buys it out of bankruptcy.
2011: Tony and Josephine Antoci take over when only the Beverly Blvd store is left, then go on to redefine the high-end organic grocery store.
2022: Hailey Bieber's Strawberry Glaze launches and the smoothie becomes a cultural moment.
2026: West Hollywood (2/25), Glendale (5/20) and Thousand Oaks (8/26) open, LACMA's new galleries get an Erewhon cafe and Tonic Bar, and the top-tier Reserve membership launches in April.
2027: The Palisades store is expected to reopen early in the year, with DTLA and Costa Mesa also slated for 2027.
Fun fact: the name comes from Samuel Butler's 1872 novel Erewhon, which is nowhere spelled almost backwards; Butler used it to satirize the society of his day.Erewhon is a B Corp
Certified B Corporation since June 2021. B Corp looks at how a company affects its workers, its community and the environment, and it has to be re-verified every three years.
The unwritten rules, LA edition
The aisle is a runway.
01 The aisle can be more serious than a fashion show: yoga pants, sunglasses, hair that's just right. Grocery shopping is a look.
02 Parking is part of the experience: some stores have valet, so check the posted rates, validation and tipping first.
03 Spot a celebrity, stay cool: if you see a familiar face, give them room to shop in peace.
04 The produce wall is worth a look, but keep the aisle clear: get the pretty photo without turning the shopping lane into a film set.LA in your hand: Malibu Mango
Yellow and white inside the cup, EREWHON on the outside. A drink can turn into the most recognizable shot of the whole trip.
J's note: I've never been able to resist mango. Malibu, mango and coconut all in one cup: what's not to love?!A drink is also a business card
More than a smoothie.
01 It grabs attention: bold colors and dreamy layers make you want to take a photo and a sip.
02 It's a "same as hers" you can actually buy: one drink turns LA's wellness lifestyle into something you can join.
03 It says who you are: the cup, the store and the photo all signal "this is my kind of life."
04 Sharing brings it back around: unboxings, rankings, copycat recipes and check-ins turn customers into the content.
You haven't even taken a sip, and the photo is already recognizable.Inside the cup: a list of collabs
Midnight Sun by Zara Larsson (launched October 2026, limited run through 11/7): MALK coconut milk, Fruitist jumbo organic blueberries, ROAR dragon fruit punch, Eidon silica and Cowboy vanilla colostrum, with the brands named right in the ingredient list.
J's note: a brand in the recipe doesn't mean every one of them paid. This one has colostrum and whey, so it isn't vegan.Why does a smoothie cost $20?
It's not just a drink; it's a whole LA lifestyle.
1) Ingredients: organic produce, plant protein, superfoods, nuts, seeds, sea moss and other add-ins.
2) People: a trained team blending to order. Erewhon has about 2,500 employees, plus a 65,000-square-foot central kitchen in Vernon where the hot bar and Tonic Bar prep starts.
3) Space: curated groceries and distinctive store design add up to grocery + dining + lifestyle in one.
4) Brand: celebrity fans and endless social buzz make it a symbol of LA wellness.
5) Value: freshness, quality and signature recipes, plus the vibe and the experience, so every cup means something.
You're not drinking a smoothie; you're drinking the whole LA lifestyle.The celebrity smoothie universe, 2025–2026
Every season brings new celebrity collabs to the Tonic Bar, and the limited flavors only run for a while. 2025–2026 highlights: 2025.08, Heidi Klum's The Kluminator; 2026.01, Jhené Aiko's The Westside Whimsy; 2026.02, KATSEYE; 2026.04, Laufey's The Madwoman; 2026.09, Megan Moroney's Easy Tiger; 2026.10, Zara Larsson's Midnight Sun. Music, fashion, wellness and art meet here, and every cup is a piece of pop culture right now.
J's note: you're not drinking a smoothie, you're drinking an LA lifestyle.18 celebrity smoothies, the greatest hits
Heidi Klum's The Kluminator, Jhené Aiko's Westside Whimsy, KATSEYE, Laufey's The Madwoman, Megan Moroney's Easy Tiger, Zara Larsson's Midnight Sun, Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet, Olivia Rodrigo's good 4 ur GUTS, Kendall Jenner's Peaches & Cream, Bella Hadid's Kinsicle, Emma Chamberlain's Cold Brew Cookie, Sofia Richie Grainge's Sweet Cherry, Sydney Sweeney's Blueberry SYRN, Miranda Kerr's KORA Glow, Winnie Harlow's Island Glow, Gisele Bündchen's Giselderberry Boost, Katy Perry's Orange You Glad I Love You and Kourtney Kardashian's Poosh Potion. This page is a composite of product photos from past collabs, not today's menu.
J's note: from songs to personal brands, a whole style turns into something you can drink.Why do collab smoothies blow up?
Celebrities × functional ingredients × community. The smoothie culture: one drink is also a way into pop culture.
Same drink, different place: what does it cost?
1) Erewhon LA, regular menu: from $13, with organic ingredients, quality add-ins and lots of flavors.
2) Erewhon celebrity collabs: $20–23, with limited flavors, special ingredients, the star's own order and signature recipes (Laufey's The Madwoman is $23; Megan Moroney's Easy Tiger is $22).
3) Delivery apps (Uber Eats): $24–26.50. App fees plus delivery push one cup past $24.
4) Other LA juice bars: $10–16, with seasonal fruit, a health focus and friendlier prices.
5) A Taipei boba run: around NT$70, with endless flavors and brands; it's an everyday thing.
6) DIY at home: Erewhon sells a DIY smoothie kit for $100, about $25 a cup (shipping extra). Buy everything separately and add your time and a blender, and "saving money" isn't that cheap.
J's note: you're not drinking a smoothie, you're drinking an LA lifestyle. Even the DIY version costs $25. The logo is an ingredient.The wellness add-ins in your smoothie
More than just fruit.
1) Fresh fruit: strawberries, blueberries, bananas, mangoes, pineapple, cantaloupe, fresh daily and full of color.
2) Plant milks and bases: oat, almond, coconut and more.
3) Functional drinks: cold-pressed juices and superfood drinks for everyday nutrition.
4) Superfoods: collagen, sea moss, maca, chia seeds and all kinds of nuts.
5) Supplements: protein powders, vitamins, minerals and functional gummies, many of them Erewhon's own brand or hand-picked labels.
6) One-stop shop: fresh produce, drinks and supplements, all in one basket home.
J's note: these add-ins aren't just a trend; they're the secret to every layered cup.How to order: the Tonic Bar kiosk
Skip the line and order smoothies, coffee and functional drinks right on the screen. 1) Choose member or guest → 2) Enter your phone number → 3) Get a text with a code → 4) Enter the code to sign in → 5) Pick your drink → 6) Choose Apple Pay or a card → 7) Get a text when it's ready. Quick and easy: grab it and go. Same drink, different place. LA lifestyle.
Three Tonic Bar classics: which one?
The three classics you have to try at Erewhon.
1) Malibu Mango ($19 in 2024): tropical mango, sunshine-in-a-cup summer flavor, rich but fresh. Mango, pineapple, coconut milk, orange juice, vanilla, sea moss, collagen.
2) Strawberry Glaze ($21 in 2026): strawberry and pink, the classic sweet-tart one, and the skin-care recipe is a crowd favorite. Almond milk, strawberries, banana, collagen, vanilla, house-made strawberry glaze.
3) Coconut Cloud ($18 in 2024): coconut and sky blue, light and coconutty, a SoCal vacation in a cup. Coconut milk, blue spirulina, pineapple, banana, vanilla, sea moss, collagen.
J's note: I usually get the monthly member drink or whatever just dropped; when I want a classic, I pick one of these three.Why a smoothie costs $20, part 2: what's in the cup
1) 20 oz, about 590 ml, closer to a meal than a snack.
2) Usually 3 to 5 add-ins: collagen, sea moss gel, sometimes hyaluronic acid.
3) Buy the whole jar instead: shelf prices are $78 for Manuka honey, $62 for colostrum, $40 for blue spirulina and $30 for collagen.
4) The ingredient list is a brand list: one cup often hides a lot of brands.
5) Even non-food brands show up: Boka toothpaste, Vacation sunscreen, Jolie showerheads and RŌZ hair care have all had their own Erewhon drinks.
6) Celebrity names expire too: Strawberry Glaze is still here, but Hailey's name came off the menu in late October 2025.
J's note: one smoothie drinks like a co-branding pitch deck.Strawberry Glaze: from ingredients to cup
Launched with Hailey Bieber in 2022, it kicked off a smoothie craze; since late October 2025 the menu just calls it the Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie. $21 in 2026, 20 oz.
Ingredients: organic almond milk, organic bananas, organic strawberries (fresh or frozen), organic avocado, organic pitted Medjool dates, organic maple syrup, grass-fed vanilla collagen, vanilla stevia, sea moss gel and liquid hyaluronic acid. Sweet-tart and rich: one sip and it's California summer.
J's note: real ingredients make every smoothie more than a trend; it's a more nourishing, more layered choice. Fresh organic ingredients × functional add-ins = everyday wellness, LA style.My smoothie order diary
Jasmine's Erewhon smoothie diary. Every Erewhon run, I try a different smoothie: Coconut Cloud (light, coconutty), Malibu Mango (summer sunshine), SYRN (Sydney Sweeney), You are doing amazing (Kris Jenner), Island Matcha, Strawberry Glaze (the strawberry classic) and KORA Glow (Miranda Kerr). Light, fruity or rich, every one has its own thing, and it's the little daily ritual I look forward to most. Different flavors, same good vibes.
Don't skip the sandwiches
Grab & Go, made for taking with you: the next meal for the rest of your LA day.
The Erewhon hot bar, decoded
Pick your mains and sides and build your own box.
Popular picks: Short Rib Korean BBQ, Buffalo Cauliflower, Garlic Miracle Noodles, Mighty Greens.
How to choose: check the price per pound first (roughly $20–30/lb), then decide how much (1 lb is about 454 g), and build a box with a main and sides.
Combo Plate: one main + two sides at a set price; on delivery apps it starts at $30 with chicken and $40 with fish.
J's note: the buffalo cauliflower is impossible to stop eating. I always grab some!My grab-and-go + smoothie diary
Ready-to-eat & smoothie combo. Today's lineup: roast chicken, kale salad, saucy noodles and cauliflower, plus an Island Matcha and a Golden Hour. Something good to take with you after shopping; everyday LA can still be a really satisfying meal.
Matcha people, there's another route
My Erewhon matcha series. My matcha list: Iced Island Matcha (tropical, with mango + pineapple), Coconut Matcha Cold Foam (matcha + coconut water, rich foam), Iced Black Sesame Matcha (black sesame and matcha, a one-of-a-kind aroma), Iced Strawberry Matcha (matcha + fresh strawberry purée) and Vanilla Matcha Smoothie (vanilla matcha, smooth and rich).
J's note: the best matcha in LA, for me, is Kettl; but when I want matcha and a little grocery browsing, I get the Island Matcha. Matcha, then a little grocery browsing.Erewhon grab-and-go, decoded
Salads, sushi, sides and light bites in the cold case, all in one look.
Salads: Kale Caesar, Quinoa, Macrobiotic, Thai-style and more.
Sushi and sushi boxes: assorted boxes and all kinds of rolls, fresh, simple and easy to take along.
Light bites: burritos, guacamole, salsa and flavorful sides.
Shopping notes: read the label and the ingredient combo first; it works for home or on the go; there are so many flavors it feels like browsing an Asian food market.LA drink trends, one fridge at a time
The functional drinks aisle.
DRAM: functional drinks with style.
Poppi & Olipop: soda that learned to speak wellness.
TRIP: functional drinks pitched for calm and focus, part everyday, part wellness.
Recess: even the fridge turns into a color wall.
Aura Bora: herbal flavors and sparkling water for a light functional drink.
Guayakí: the classic organic yerba mate, the go-to for energy and focus.
From OLIPOP and TRIP to DRAM, every can makes a different function or ingredient claim; walking this fridge is like watching wellness move into everyday shopping.
Jasmine's note: if the label says "healthy," still read the nutrition facts.A whole fridge of LA wellness
Juice, tonics & the everyday ritual. A whole wall of cold-pressed juices and functional drinks; check the ingredients, the size and the price first.
J's note: what's for sale here isn't just a bottle of juice; it's a whole idea of LA life.The hot bar is the secret star
Like building your own lunch combo: lots of mains, seasonal vegetable sides, made fresh and easy to take with you, good for training days and regular days alike. Mains, sides, take your time.
The Asian stomach of LA's trendiest grocery store
Asian roots, LA lifestyle.
Japanese macrobiotics: the Kushis were the early starting point, using macrobiotic eating to kick off LA's healthy-eating wave, and it's a big part of where Erewhon's style comes from.
Chinese tonic herbs: the Tonic Bar traces back to a Dragon Herbs tonic bar that herbalist Ron Teeguarden opened in the store with then-owner Tom DeSilva. It started from Chinese tonic herbs and met modern life, and you can see how herbal drinks evolved at today's Tonic Bar.
A Taiwanese buyer's eye: Josephine Antoci, who runs the store, immigrated from Taiwan, and every product has to get past her before it hits the shelves.
Comfort food in a glass jar: chicken soup and bone broth, warming and easy, so you can find familiar everyday flavors here too.
J's note: from food and herbs to lifestyle picks. This is cultural context, not a claim about what Chinese medicine can do.Must-buys: to eat, to take home
To eat: Raw Ranch kale chips, matcha overnight oats, Sea Moss Gummies, AshaPops popped water lily seeds, Kelp Noodle Pad Thai, Avo Tofu Sushi (J's favorite), Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup and dried mango.
To take home: the everyday hoodie, the Market Hat, the Erewhon tumbler, the Shopper Tote, plus the LACMA-exclusive hoodie and Traveler Tote.
My gut microbiome is richer than my bank account.
Places in this story
In this series
- The Ultimate Erewhon Survival Guide: What to Actually Buy (and Flex)
- Erewhon 2026: The Ultimate LA Survival Guide
An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).