Hip Hop Smoothies

Flour & Ink Audio Story with Hip Hop Smoothies

3:27

My name is Roberto Brooks, co‑owner of Hip Hop Smoothies. And I am Shamika Brooks, the second half of Hip Hop Smoothies. We serve real fruit smoothies at our location in the Market at 7th Street.

There’s a big push right now for mocktail‑style drinks, so we wanted to incorporate our real fruit smoothies with a bitter option—something that still feels like you’re getting an alcoholic drink, but is completely alcohol‑free. That’s how we created our exclusive SHOUT! smoothie: The Hypnoturnes.

The inspiration for Hip Hop Smoothies started a long time ago. Growing up, I (Roberto) lived next to a house with a real apple tree in the front yard. We had blackberry bushes, a plum tree—whole fruits were part of my life from the beginning. And of course, we grew up in the 80s listening to hip hop. We loved beatboxing as kids. It all came together later in life when we wanted to give our kids the same whole‑fruit experience we had growing up. We wanted to share that inspiration with others. That’s why we created Hip Hop Smoothies.

As we thought about our SHOUT! drink, we wanted something refreshing for spring—lighter fruits like mango and pineapple. We mixed a bitter option with a lemonade base, added those bright fruits, and then layered in elderflower to give it more of a cocktail feel. It’s a refreshing, springtime drink with a mocktail twist.

Our space is driven by hip hop. We have a big counter with greenery around it, and our handmade hip hop logo has a graffiti feel—painted by local artists. When you walk in, you see our lighted logo sign featuring our beatbox man, who “dances” in the design. We even have an old‑school boombox that actually works—you can put tapes in it and listen to the radio.

The idea for the Hypnoturnes also came from a childhood memory. I (Roberto) snuck my father’s eggnog when I was a kid, and I loved the spice and aroma. We wanted to bring that feeling into this smoothie—without the alcohol. Elderflower, lemonade, and fruit give it that same layered, aromatic experience.

We’re really intentional with the products we use. Even if costs go up, we never want to take away from the benefits of what we make. No shortcuts. No artificial syrups. No watering things down with ice just to save money. Whatever you put out—no matter the market—should be quality. If it’s not quality, there’s no reason to sell it.