Can you tell the difference between Erewhon's $12 "Sacred Water" and backyard hose water?
Late night host Jimmy Kimmel's partner in crime Guillermo Rodriguez, on the July 23 episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" put this question to test inviting pedestrians on Los Angeles' Hollywood Boulevard to taste the California-based luxury grocery store $12 for "sacred" coconut water. While the episode itself aired a week ago, it has only now begun to gain traction after the show posted clips of it on social media.
"Have you heard of this crazy expensive water they're selling at the grocery store?" host Colman Domingo, who was filling in for Kimmel, asked the audience. "It's called Sacred Water and they're selling it for 12 bucks a cup."
He joked: "They named it
Sacred Water because if you're paying $12 for a drink with no alcohol in it, you need Jesus."
Domingo added, "people have been shelling out big time for this stuff here in LA, and we wanted to have a little fun with the luxury water phenomenon." So they decided to fill an Erewhon cup with hose water from the studio's back parking lot and went out to Hollywood Boulevard where they offered it to pedestrians telling them it's sacred water.
'Freshest water ever'
Was the public able to tell the difference? Nope. Many of those who tried the "sacred water" had detailed explanations about how different the water tasted, with one person saying it was "the freshest water I've ever had." Another person said they tasted "a little bit of honey, a little bit of hibiscus," while another said they could "smell like the nuttiness a little bit."
It was no surprise that those who tried the water were astounded when they found out it was plain water from the backyard hose. One person remarked, "Is that even healthy? Is that even allowed?"
What is Erewhon's Sacred Water?
Earlier in July, Erewhon launched a new product called Sacred Water, a 12-ounce beverage marketed in collaboration with shower filter brand Jolie. Available from Erewhon's Tonic Bar, the water costs $1 per ounce.
According to the Erewhon website, Sacred Water is made with:
- Organic grape juice
- Organic coconut milk
- Organic coconut water
- Organic jasmine tea
- Organic holy basil
- Organic anise
- Organic cardamom
- Organic raw honey
A $12 cup of water is on brand for the upscale grocery store. In recent years, Erewhon has gone viral for its $21 Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie, made in collaboration with Hailey Bieber; its $19 single "premium" Japanese strawberry; and $30 cocktail ice balls meant to melt more slowly than regular ice.
Contributing: Greta Cross, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: People fell for Erewhon water taste test on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'
