Quench your thirst the healthy way with Pressed Juicery. Located in Paseo Nuevo in downtown Santa Barbara, Pressed Juicery specializes in cold-pressed juice and juice cleanses. The company started in 2010 in a little storefront in L.A. when three friends were inspired to create juices that were both delicious and healthy. Eight years later, they’ve developed nine different lines of juices that are featured in more than 60 of their locations, as well as on their website.
Winnie Lam / Daily Nexus
Their different juices include greens, roots, citrus, fruits, signature blends, refreshers, coffees, premium waters and shots. I tried one of their signature blends, Vanilla Almond. On the Pressed Juicery website, it claims that the taste is “melted vanilla ice cream in a bottle.” I don’t know if I would completely agree with this because the flavor wasn’t as milky as ice cream would normally taste, but this is understandable since all their products are vegan and primarily made with different types of nuts. For the Vanilla Almond, there were only four ingredients: almonds, dates, vanilla and sea salt. According to the website, this particular blend is perfect for people looking for a healthy alternative to a dessert or a post-workout protein boost. I would definitely agree with this. It was a pretty hot day when I took a trip to Pressed Juicery, and since all their beverages were kept ready and chilled in the fridge, grabbing this juice was an easy way to cool myself down. The texture is definitely a little more dense than a regular fruit-based juice, and it had a creamy texture that made it more filling. I really liked that the ingredient list was very simple and the flavor wasn’t too sweet and overpowering. It was pretty pricey at $8, so I don’t know if I would come back for it frequently, but it was inarguably a fun drink to try.
In addition to all their healthy and delicious beverages, Pressed Juicery also has “freezes” which are healthy soft serve desserts that look like fro-yo, but taste even better. Like the juices, all the freezes are vegan, as they are dairy-free and made with fruits, vegetables and nuts. They only have four flavors, and their ingredient list is extremely simple as well. Their flavors include vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and my personal favorite, matcha. You can build your own freeze, which includes picking a flavor, a size and toppings. They have a variety of toppings; you can choose from berries, granola, shredded coconut, cocoa drizzle and even pink himalayan sea salt. All of these options seemed so tasty, so it was great that you could ask for samples of the different flavors. Pressed juicery has “freeze favorites,” which are different combinations of their flavors and toppings. Some of these tasty combinations include the AB&J, Dark Chocolate Macaroon, Almond Butter Cookie, Matcha Choco-Chip, Blueberries n’ Honey, Matcha Pie and Chocolate Covered Strawberries.
I went with the Matcha Pie which was topped with shredded coconut flakes, granola and honey. It did not taste like any other matcha soft serve I’ve had, but it did have a slight matcha flavor and the toppings really tied the whole dessert together. The coconut flakes and granola provided a contrasting texture to the creamy soft serve and the honey gave it an extra hint of sweetness. It was $6.50 for the larger size, but most desserts are around that price point, so it’s not that much more expensive, especially if you take into consideration the nutritious ingredients it’s made with. Unlike the juices, I would definitely come back to try the other combinations of freezes that Pressed Juicery offers.
Winnie Lam / Daily Nexus
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Pressed Juicery. Although I like the food and drinks in I.V., some places are just too sweet or too savory for my taste. Coming here was a nice break from all the junk food I eat during late night studying, and my favorite thing was the freezes. It was a perfect treat to accompany a quick shopping trip and I could totally see myself coming back here again the next time I visit downtown Santa Barbara.
