4 days ago
We tried the Heinz Ketchup Smoothie so you don't have to. (But you should!)
JACKSON TWP. – Smoothie King's blend of acai, apple juice and, let me check my notes, yes, ketchup, isn't the culinary train wreck you might expect.
It's surprisingly refreshing.
Kraft Heinz and Smoothie King have teamed up to blend the drink at all of the shop's locations nationwide.
From curiosity to nationwide release
Culinary friends were calling me. Did I know about the ketchup smoothie? Has the culinary world gone mad? Once I found out more about the Heinz Ketchup Smoothie, I knew I had to try it.
As a former corporate chef at Vitamix HQ — I was intrigued, and initially disappointed — to learn it would launch only in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Miami, and parts of New York and New Jersey. Then Adam Gerig, owner of the Smoothie King at 4944 Everhard Road NW, called with good news.
'Because of the interest in the Heinz Ketchup Smoothie, corporate is rolling it out to all stores,' Gerig said.
We quickly set up a tasting date. Gerig purchased the franchise in July 2022, and the store has been in business there since 2014. With 15 years in food service, including as a pizza shop general manager, he wanted to own a business that combined hospitality with health benefits.
Limited-edition collaborations
Unusual food-and-drink mashups are nothing new. Graeter's recently launched Skyline Spice Ice Cream, honoring Cincinnati's iconic chili. Northeast Ohio's Pav's Creamery has offered Lawson's Chip Dip Ice Cream, even selling it with a bag of Gold'N Krisp potato chips.
But a ketchup smoothie? Tomatoes are technically both a fruit and a vegetable, and, according to Smoothie King, smoothies are having a moment.
Crafting the ketchup smoothie
Angie Madigan, vice president of elevation marketing at Kraft Heinz, said the beverage was an effort that kept flavor and restraint at the forefront.
'The idea of a ketchup smoothie is provocative, and our top priority was landing a delicious tasting fruit smoothie with distinct yet well-balanced ketchup notes,' Madigan said in a news release.
Smoothie King spent months developing the new drink.
Lori Primavera, vice president of research and development for Smoothie King, said in the release that the final recipe contains acai sorbet, apple juice, strawberries, raspberries and Heinz ketchup. She said the result is a fruity, tangy drink that elevates the traditional smoothie.
Taste test verdict
The drink was fruity, flavorful and refreshing with just a hint of ketchup.
Available for in-store pickup or through the drive-thru, the Heinz Tomato Ketchup Smoothie is a limited-time summer sip worth trying. If nothing more, it's a guaranteed conversation starter.
Bev Shaffer, Food & Drink reporter for The Canton Repository, can be reached at bshaffer@ or 330-580-8318.
If you go
What: Smoothie King's new Heinz Tomato Ketchup Smoothie
Where: 4944 Everhard Road NW, Jackson Township
When: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Phone: 330-498-5464
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Smoothie King's Heinz Ketchup Smoothie is worth a try. Really!
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