The History of Smoothies

Cultures around the world have long blended fruit into beverages. Many parts of South America enjoy a batido or licuado and the lassi has long been popular in India. The earliest known American version of the smoothie can be traced back to the 1920s when Julius Freed was hired to run an orange juice stand. Freed came up with a unique concoction that would allow his boss, who had a sensitive stomach, to enjoy orange juice without the adverse effects of too much acidity. He mixed orange juice with powdered egg whites, milk, and flavorings to create what would become the famous Orange Julius. Additionally, the smoothie would never have gotten off the ground without the invention of the blender, which is generally attributed to Stephen Poplawski in 1922. His design was then manufactured by the Hamilton Beach Manufacturing Company. Other designs soon followed, including Waring's Blendor (Blender). The advent of refrigeration was another important prerequisite for smoothies. Then in the 1960s, the health food movement began to take off in the United States, further bolstering interest in smoothies. In 1970, a lactose-intolerant teenager named Steven Kuhnau began to work on a version of milkshakes that he could enjoy like his friends did. He ended up blending fruit, fruit juice, and ice. His concoctions grew so popular among his friend group that in 1973, he opened the first Smoothie King store. The health food trend heated up again in the 1990s and has only continued to grow, making smoothies increasingly popular. Today, many people make smoothies at home, and there are also many smoothie-serving chains, including Smoothie King, Jamba Juice, Planet Smoothie, and Tropical Smoothie Café, as well as many small-scale smoothie stores all across the country.