Juice bars are everywhere — popping up on every other street corner and producing organic, cold-pressed creations that provide us with healthy alternatives. With so many colorful concoctions to choose from, the options are endless. Even so, some stand out.
Recently, we spent an afternoon with Alvin Edersheim-Haas, founding chef of the new Haas Juice bar in White Plains, along with his partner, Reldon Caddy, sampling some of their best sellers. Theirs is an airy green space with an exposed ceiling and comfortable seating. We could’ve sat there in a hanging basket seat forever, a tribute to Edersheim-Haas’ desire to create a place where his customers can unwind.
The business partners first met at The Culinary Institute of America where Edersheim-Haas studied culinary management with a concentration in wine and spirits, while Caddy studied baking and pastry as well as food science. After school they wondered what was next. Talking to each other about their big ideas, they came up with Haas Juice and decided to go for it. So what makes their juice bar different from the rest?
“A great juice bar has a high-quality product that incorporates a taste component as well as a nutrition component as well has having the clientele for it,” Edersheim-Haas says. As far as clientele goes, the juice bar is connected to the new Hourglass Women’s Wellness. (See related story.) Smoothies and juices are consumed more by women, especially women who take their health and fitness seriously. These women now have easy access to grabbing an energizing juice before their workout and a post- workout smoothie.
The benefit that comes from the drinks is that they’re high in vitamins and minerals.
“Drinking juices could introduce extra nutrients into the body to boost overall health and are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds that can boost the immune system to help you feel more energetic,” Edersheim-Haas says. Juices can help flush toxins from the body and improve digestion by introducing healthy enzymes.
We got to sample all of the juices, including the most popular, Rise and Shine, made of raw pineapple, grapefruit and ginger. But if you are looking for more of a meal, you’re going to want to make your own smoothie out of greens, fats, protein and the right amount of carbs.
“What I recommend is kale and blueberry for the carbs and sugars, almond butter for the fat, and protein powder for the protein,” Edersheim-Haas says. “Personally, I like it with apple juice, but it works really well with almond milk or cucumber juice for a simpler option.” We got it with almond milk and it definitely filled us up for the rest of the afternoon.
More of a coffee person? Haas Juice does its own cold brew, which is not too heavy and dark, as some cold brews can be.
The juice bar seeks to use organic fruits and vegetables, when available, for all its juices, smoothies and cleanses.
“In a perfect world, organic would be returning to this idealized version where crops are grown in a soil with no pesticides, no artificial fertilizers in an effort to let them be what they naturally were 110 years ago,” Caddy says. “The more you can find someone passionate about their food and animals, the more likely you are going to be eating better food.”
Looking to the future, the partners are planning on an extended food menu and licensing that will enable them to bottle and sell their products elsewhere.
“On the longer term, I’d love to go to gyms and places and set up little satellites,” Edersheim-Haas says. “We’re also working on a customer loyalty program and are always testing and creating new juices.”
For more, visit haasjuice.com.
