Fruit Smoothies from W.A. Frost and Company in Saint Paul

On a hazy July evening with friends on the balcony, when the bees are working through the flowers, the humidity hangs in the air, and the lake goes still and glassy, the last thing anyone wants is something complicated. That’s when a cold, fruit smoothie fits.

Hippie culture claimed the word “smoothie” to describe a blended, produce-forward, and healthy drink sometime in the 1960s. But the drink itself is much older than the name, with roots in South American fruit drinks, Indian lassi, and Middle Eastern yogurt blends. The modern American version arrived with the electric blender and post-war health food culture, and by the 1970s Steve Kuhnau had founded Smoothie King in Louisiana, Jamba Juice followed in California in 1990, and gyms had adopted the post-workout smoothie as a health trend.

This fruit smoothie recipe comes from the mid-1980s kitchen of W.A. Frost and Company. The best part about it is that it’s simple: just strawberries, raspberries, banana, piña colada mix, and ice. Fresh fruit is ideal when summer is cooperating, but frozen fruit from peak season works just as well; skip the ice if you go that route. The piña colada mix adds a tropical sweetness that will have you thinking you’ve been transported to a beach. The best part: it only takes a few minutes to blend up and serve. 

Fruit Smoothie

W.A. Frost was ahead of the smoothie trend with this recipe coming out of their kitchen in the mid-1980s. Smoothies became popular nationwide in the 1990s.

Servings: 2

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1½ bananas
• 2 oz. fresh raspberries
• 4 oz. fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled
• 4 oz. piña colada mix
• 16 oz. ice

Instructions

• Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Notes

Piña colada mix can be made by blending equal parts of pineapple, pineapple juice, and coconut cream together with the other ingredients. I used a mix found in the frozen juice section of the grocery store.