Jul 17, 2026
They call it “Sacred Water” but it’s not the type you’d see an old priest and a young priest tossing about in films like “The Exorcist.”
In fact, when paying $12 for a 12 oz. cup, you’re going to want to ensure that every single drop lands on your tongue.
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Sacred Water by Jolie — which contains “a blend of grape juice, coconut milk, coconut water, and jasmine tea, delicately layered with holy basil, anise, cardamom, and raw honey” — is the latest drink from Los Angeles luxury wellness grocery chain Erewhon.
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Once described by GQ as “a sexier, pricier, and more metaphysical version of Whole Foods, if Whole Foods wasn’t owned by Jeff Bezos and had trendy athleisure merch,” you may know the chain from previous viral offerings such as the $19 individual Japanese strawberry and the $21 “Hailey Bieber smoothie,” not to mention the various celebrities who’ve been spotted there.
Unsurprisingly, Erewhon’s latest offering ignited debate online, with some commenters blaspheming Sacred Water while a Los Angeles Times reporter noted that “it overwhelmingly tasted like coconut water, without a hint of any other ingredients.”
Many others, though, offered Sacred Water a “Hallelujah,” illustrating how some consumers — and not just affluent ones — are willing to spend more on premium products even when navigating a wider affordability crisis.
Why consumers are willing to pay the price of luxury
Yuanyuan Cui and Patrick van Esch, both professors of marketing and consumer behavior, pointed to America’s $219 billion specialty food market in a recent article they wrote for The Conversation, adding how spending on premium-priced products can reflect a nation coping with volitility in their daily lives.
“When people feel life is out of control, they reach for something small, expensive and signaling virtue,” the pair wrote, pointing to the example of how the price of lipstick shot up following the September 11th terrorist attacks. “This is the real reason premium food is booming.”
But beyond reaching for a luxury liferaft amidst the chaos of everyday life, stores like Erewhon sit “at the intersection of two game-changing trends in the luxury market today: luxury as an experience, not a product, and the wellness and well-being trends,” Pamela Danziger, a luxury retail expert, told Vogue.
“Erewhon smoothies feel like the equivalent of buying Chanel sunglasses when you can’t afford main line,” one customer told the publication.
Perhaps, however, Ntwrk Black, a platform for business founders and investors, put it best when they asked why “consumers complain about rising costs while simultaneously spending $20 on a smoothie, $8 on specialty coffee, $150 on athletic apparel, or thousands on luxury travel experiences?”
The answer, they believe, lies in the fact that the same consumer can be two things at once — discerning about the price of “household staples” while willing to spend more on things “that provide emotional satisfaction, convenience, status, wellness benefits, or memorable experiences.”
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And recent research shows that Gen Z is driving this trend. Representatives of global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, who co-authored the company’s 2025 “State of the Consumer” report, said that Gen Z “care a lot about financial security” yet remain more willing to splurge on items that bring them joy.
PricewaterhouseCoopers added that while Gen Z saves some money, “they still want purchases that spark joy, earn social currency and align with their own sense of identity” such as “a pricey matcha, a resale sneaker drop or cosmetics that double as skincare.”
Some also credit Gen Z, along with millennials, for driving trends like Erewhon’s expensive, celebrity-adjacent luxury food and drinks. And the strategy appears to be working.
While the company is private and, thus, does not disclose financial information — and didn’t return Moneywise’s request for comment — the GQ story quoted Erewhon’s executive vice-president Vito Antoci in 2023 as saying they sold 40,000 Strawberry Skin Glaze (Hailey Bieber) smoothies a month, adding, “The fan girls really make these drinks viral.”
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How to have your luxury and drink it too
While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying indulgences like Sacred Water, you also don’t want to break your budget on premium purchases.
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Financial therapist and author Lindsay Bryan-Podvin told Moneywise that “a $12 fancy water is more achievable and approachable for most people than a several-hundred-dollar spa weekend, so I get why people want to splurge on it.”
She also noted that there are “ways to build small luxuries into your budget without totally throwing it off.”
Bryan-Podvin suggests “brainstorming what you enjoy doing or spending money on” and then that you “set aside money for that interest.”
Proper budgeting, of course, will help you stay on financial track and aware of your expenses while still allowing for spending on “wants.”
Other helpful hints include using a budget tool or app to track your progress, cutting unnecessary expenses — including unused subscriptions — to allow for more financial flexibility and paying in cash so you have a more immediate idea of what you’re spending.
An added bonus: Successfully budgeting to enjoy your interests while protecting your bank account will ensure that that $12 cup of Sacred Water goes down even smoother.
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Mike Crisolago is a Sr. Staff Reporter at Moneywise with nearly 20 years of experience working as a journalist, editor, content strategist and podcast host. He specializes in personal finance writing related to the 50-plus demographic and retirement, as well as politics and lifestyle content.
