| It is arguably the most famous smoothie ever — and it is no more. |
| Upscale grocery chain Erewhon has quietly removed model Hailey Bieber's name from a $20 strawberry smoothie that debuted in 2022 and quickly became an emblem of L.A. culture. |
| What was once the Hailey Bieber Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie is now simply the Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie. We visited multiple Erewhon locations on Oct. 17, Oct. 20 and Nov. 12 and in each instance found Bieber's name removed from the item on the menu. |
A smoothie for L.A. excess |
| The 20-ounce smoothie — supposedly a "skin supporting" concoction of almond milk, strawberries, vanilla collagen, sea moss and more — had come to signify L.A. excess and epitomize the city's reputation for health- and beauty-focused lifestyles. |
| It launched in June 2022, and was said to be available for "a limited time." But unlike other special drinks that are typically removed from Erewhon's smoothie menu after about a month, Bieber's beverage remained a fixture. Along the way, it became ubiquitous, and helped transform the grocery chain into an L.A. tourist destination, while generating think pieces in the Wall Street Journal, GQ and Vogue. |
| So why was Bieber's name removed from the drink? |
| Erewhon and a representative of Bieber did not respond to requests for comment. |
| But workers at Erewhon smoothie bars — the chain calls them Tonic Bars — offered several unverifiable explanations for the removal of Bieber's name, ranging from "her contract — it expired," to "I just work here." |
Fuzzy origins of a health drink |
| While more than one Tonic Bar worker mentioned Bieber's "contract," little has been said publicly about Bieber's arrangement with the L.A-based grocery chain. |
| A 2022 story by the fashion website Fashionista quoted an executive vice president at Erewhon who said that "Hailey's team" contacted the chain about collaborating. The Erewhon executive did not disclose any details about Bieber's contract, but the report noted that the chain shares revenue with the personalities for whom its smoothies are named. The story also said that 36,000 of Bieber's beverages were sold during the first month the drink was offered. |
| Bieber, 28, the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin and wife of pop star Justin Bieber, is the founder of Rhode, a skin care company that launched alongside the smoothie's debut. In May, she told Vogue she drinks one of her signature beverages daily: "I would say it's probably 90% of the reason why my skin looks the way it does." Comments like that — and plenty of social media posts from Bieber, who has more than 55 million followers on Instagram — helped make the drink a hit. |
| The pink- and white-striped concoction has its share of detractors. A Vogue journalist described its taste as "delicious chalk" and "borderline disgusting" after imbibing the beverage for a week. In a 2022 taste test of every Erewhon smoothie, The Times found it to be "actually very good ... thick, creamy, has plenty of strawberry flavor. ... But will it make your skin better? No comment." |
| (We tried it — hard to say whether our skin was more radiant than normal.) |
| Since the smoothie's launch, dozens of bloggers and influencers have purported to spill the secrets of its recipe — including one who claimed her copycat recipe came from a former Erewhon employee. |
| Erewhon has expanded rapidly in recent years, opening stores in Beverly Hills and Silver Lake. It has 10 locations across the Southland, with more on the way. The grocery chain's success has been partly credited to its partnerships with celebrities. Sabrina Carpenter, Kourtney Kardashian, Billy Corgan, Bella Hadid and Tinx have all collaborated on smoothies with Erewhon, though none held the cultural sway or staying power of Bieber's drink. |
A mysterious end |
| At least one of the chain's patrons — a fitness influencer — has noted the smoothie change-up, proclaiming in an Oct. 21 Instagram video, "Regardless of the name, it's looking good." She likened the smoothie's flavor to strawberry Creme Savers candy and rated it "8/10." |
| In October, Erewhon announced a $100 DIY smoothie kit that includes four servings of the famous strawberry drink and ships nationwide. Bieber's name is absent from a webpage for the package. |
| But her ties to Erewhon do not appear to be fully severed. The stores' Tonic Bars still advertise Hailey Bieber's Strawberry Glaze Soft Serve Sundae. |
| At $10.50, it's a steal. |
Today's top stories |
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A pedestrian runs through the rain on Soledad Canyon Road in Santa Clarita on Oct. 14. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) |
SoCal is in for a weekend of severe rain |
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Corruption bombshell in Newsom's circle |
- A federal corruption case has been brought against Gov. Gavin Newsom's former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, and other well-connected aides. The case does not implicate Newsom in any wrongdoing.
- Williamson, who joined the governor's office in early 2023 and departed late last year, was arrested Wednesday and faces charges of bank and tax fraud.
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Immigrants sue ICE and DHS for 'inhumane' conditions |
- Seven immigrants sued ICE and DHS citing "decrepit" conditions at California City Detention Facility in the Mojave Desert.
- The complaint alleges inadequate food, water and medical care at California's largest and newest detention facility.
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Legal aftermath of January's wildfires |
- Edison's CEO promised swift settlement offers to fire victims willing to forgo lawsuits, saying the utility's equipment is likely at fault in the Eaton fire that killed 19.
- So far 580 people have applied for compensation, according to Edison CEO Pedro Pizarro. He claims that those who accept the company's offer will be paid within 30 days.
- In other wildfire news, L.A. County has opened a probe into how State Farm has treated January wildfire victims after complaints that their claims have been delayed, denied and underpaid.
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More big stories |
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Commentary and opinions |
- What do Gavin Newsom and Marjorie Taylor Greene have in common? They have both impressed us in 2025, says contributing writer Matt K. Lewis.
- President Trump insists there's no cost of living crisis — but prices and voters prove he's wrong, argues contributing writer Veronique de Rugy.
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This morning's must reads |
| | | Hard Rock Casino Tejon brings industrial-strength Indian gaming — and some Hollywood pizzazz — to a territory better known for farmland and cowboy hats. | | | |
Other great reads |
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| Keep up with California | Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. | | | | | |
For your downtime |
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A pumpkin spice latte and pastry at Muddy Paw Coffee. (Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times) |
Going out |
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Staying in |
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Question of the day: What's one special dish your family makes for Thanksgiving? |
| Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. |
And finally ... the photo of the day |
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| Pedro Uranga of Los Angeles climbs Sentinel Rock in Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) |
| Today's great photo is from Times staff photographer Allen J. Schaben of a climber on Sentinel Rock in Hidden Valley in Joshua Tree National Park. |
| Have a great day, from the Essential California team |
| Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martin, assistant editor
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
June Hsu, editorial fellow
Andrew Campa, weekend reporter
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters |
| How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. |
