Holiday Smoothie

Photograph courtesy of Jamba Juice

From riding the first wave of the antioxidant craze with drinks loaded with pomegranate and the Brazilian açai berry, to offering nutritional “boosts” such as green caffeine and whey protein to their drinks, Jamba Juice prides itself on being on the cutting edge.

Still, vice president of innovation?
 

The holder of that esoteric-sounding job title is Lafayette resident Brian Lee, who is behind some of the Emeryville-based juice company’s more innovative ideas.
Jamba Juice’s R&D process can be a long one. From conception to cup, drinks generally take about six to 12 months to land on the store’s menu, undergoing at least two blind taste tests inside Jamba’s “sensory booths” and morphing through dozens of different incarnations before a final product is approved. In addition, prospective beverages not officially on the market often appear at one of Jamba’s three test stores, where the public tries out experimental flavors before they are released nationwide. One of those is the Lafayette store, where Lee drops in occasionally to see customers’ reactions to new products firsthand.
 

Lee’s latest creation is the Cinnamon Apple Cheer, a holiday drink set to be released in Bay Area stores November 6. In keeping with the holiday spirit, the new drink—combining frozen yogurt, soy milk, fruit puree, cinnamon, and Granny Smith apples—will be slightly more decadent than the typical Jamba drink. “We wanted something that is healthy but also a little indulgent,” says Lee. “It’s a drink for holiday shoppers who want to treat themselves a little bit.”