Given the popularity of coconut water, wheatgrass juice, kale smoothies and other beverages that appeal to health-conscious consumers, it's no surprise to see a new fruit or vegetable-fortified drink on store shelves.
Still, when Whole Foods shoppers spotted bottles labeled "Asparagus Water" selling for $5.99 at one location, they were shocked.
That's because this previously unknown drink was nothing more than three raw spears of asparagus standing upright in a bottle of plain water.
"Somewhere in L.A., Whole Foods executives are laughing at all of us," one shopper noted on Instagram.
When news of the drink made its way to Eater.com, the site contacted the Brentwood, California store that carried it to find out exactly what it was.
"Well, it's ... to drink," one employee said. "The nutrients from the asparagus do transfer into the water."
But later, Eater learned the real story behind it all.
"It was meant to be water with the essence of vegetables and/or mushrooms to be used as broth (similar to a bone broth), which are typically made over a long period of time soaking in water," Whole Foods senior media relations specialist Liz Burkhart explained. "The product was made incorrectly and has since been removed from the one store where it was carried."