Ketchup in a smoothie sounds like the culinary equivalent of wearing socks in the shower… but hear us out. Heinz and Smoothie King just teamed up to create the Heinz Tomato Ketchup Smoothie, and early taste testers are saying it’s actually… good?
The whole thing started when Smoothie King posted a cheeky teaser: “If tomatoes are a fruit… is ketchup a smoothie?” That opened the door for the most unexpected collab of the year.
Before you gag, it’s not just a cup of blended ketchup. The recipe combines strawberries, raspberries, apple juice, açai sorbet, and yes, Heinz’s signature tomato ketchup. According to a People magazine writer who tried it, the drink is “sweet and tangy” with a surprisingly smooth blend of savory and fruity flavors. In other words, it’s not a spoonful-of-condiment situation — more of a gourmet twist on the fruit-and-veg juice trend.
Food writers from multiple outlets have backed it up, saying the ketchup adds depth without overpowering the sweetness.
If you’ve ever added tomato to a fruit smoothie at home, you might get the idea… though it’s safe to say few people have done it with a squeeze bottle.
The catch? It’s only available for a limited time in select Smoothie King locations, and you’ll need to be in one of six metro areas to try it: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or New York City.
So yes, it’s part marketing stunt, part “what if?” experiment, but it’s also tapping into a growing trend of using savory flavors in sweet drinks. Think salted caramel, chili chocolate, or celery in your juice cleanse — only this one comes with a red squirt cap.
Will it become your new go-to breakfast order? Probably not. But for anyone curious (or just in it for the bragging rights on Instagram), the ketchup smoothie might be one of the least gross “weird food collabs” we’ve seen lately. And if nothing else, it proves that Heinz isn’t afraid to stir the pot… or, in this case, the blender.