Those hoping to balance their yin and yang this season might consider a nutrient-rich, cold-pressed juice… Just don’t forget to add the booze.
The juicing trend has taken a turn from detox to cold-pressed cocktails. Last year Pressed Juicery, one of the country’s most popular juice bars, collaborated with New York City steakhouse Quality Eats on a limited-edition cocktail called the Unicow. A combination of vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, and pineapple, the bright drink was punctuated with a pink-and-blue-striped ice cube made from Pressed Juicery’s cold-pressed lemonades.
Now beverage programs nationwide are seeing an uptick in cold-pressed juices, or those that use a hydraulic press to extract juice from produce, in response to consumers looking for a “healthier” cocktail. Because the cold-pressed method doesn’t produce as much heat, it keeps more of the nutrients intact and allows fruit flavors to shine through.
“Cold-pressed juice gives you the brightest and most vibrant sugar content out of the fruit,” says Aimee Anoia, owner and beverage director of DiAnoia’s Eatery in Pittsburgh. “The longer a juice sits, the acid takes over the flavor of the sweetness from the sugar.”
If you’ve always wanted to try juicing, but aren’t ready to give up, well, just about everything else, these cold-pressed cocktails are a bright, bracing compromise.
Beet-On, Miss Ada, Brooklyn, NY
From Fort Greene’s modern Mediterranean restaurant, Miss Ada, comes the brightly hued Beet-On. Head bartender Ruben Hernandez pairs earthy, cold-pressed beet juice with the anise flavor of arak. It’s rounded out with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and muddled mint.
The Elysium, Biga on the Banks, San Antonio, TX
The Elysium features zingy, cold-pressed lime juice alongside vodka, St-Germain, Aperol, and grapefruit juice. It’s a refreshing alternative to a Cosmopolitan.
Garibaldi, DiAnoia’s Eatery, Pittsburgh, PA
This simple combination of Campari and orange juice over ice may seem like a basic Italian aperitivo, but it’s not, thanks to the vibrancy of the cold-pressed orange juice. Known simply as a “Campari-Orange,” the sweetness of the cold-pressed orange in this version complements and balances out the bitterness of Campari.
Butterface, Alma, Los Angeles, CA
From The Standard hotel in Hollywood comes this dramatic drink made with charcoal-infused St. George Botanivore gin, sage, and charred pineapple that is cold-pressed into juice. It’s topped with an aerated frozen puree of coconut milk and brown butter. Bar manager Steve LaFountain lightly chars the pineapple before cold-pressing to concentrate sugars, which creates a bright, elegantly smoky flavor.
The Green Prophet, Lido Bayside Grill, Miami, FL
Made with green apple juice and vodka, and vigorously shaken, this cocktail is finished with cold-pressed apple cider vinegar to cleanse the palate and balance the sweetness. Garnished with mint and a twist of tart apple shrub, the proteins in the wheatgrass create a nice froth.
Le Jardinier, Range, Washington, D.C.
Range’s beverage director Dane Nakamura created Le Jardinier, a cocktail that combines sous-vide London dry gin with cold-pressed ginger and carrot juices. The mixture is then shaken with lemon juice and topped with walnut basil oil.
