by Brendon Smith, Communications Director
We recently conducted a review of our Juice Bars and realized three things:
- Some customers were surprised to learn we sold made-to-order espresso drinks (we do, and we do them well!).
- Given the popularity of our smoothies, we should come up with a few new signature smoothie drinks.
- Sometimes we missed out on seasonal drink options—’tis the season for all things pumpkin spice, after all.
To address the first point, we have renamed the areas to “Juice & Coffee Bar,” and we’ll be getting the word out about espresso drinks particularly around Willy North and Willy West, where there aren’t the number of coffee shops there are in the Willy East neighborhood.
We’ve also added some drinks to the menu! Although we hadn’t settled on the seasonal drinks by press time, we expect to roll them out at the beginning of December and change them along with the seasons. I’ve listed our new smoothies below. I should mention that all of the ingredients in the smoothies listed below are organic (except for the ice cream and cocoa powder), as are most of the ingredients on our Juice & Coffee Bar menus.
Golden Monkey
This smoothie contains banana, honey, golden milk paste, and the milk of your choice. If you’re not familiar with golden milk, it gets its color from turmeric, and some kick from cinnamon, black pepper, and ginger. It’s popular for its immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, and other health benefits. As a staff member said, “It’s a unique combination of a cool beverage with some heat from the spice.”
Tropical Greens
Pineapple juice and mango make this smoothie sweet, balanced by the zing of ginger. Spinach and kale provide extra nutrients and mellow the flavor.
Pretty in Peach
It’s been a while since we had peaches as an ingredient in a signature smoothie, and that had to change. This tasty treat is made with coconut water, peach, strawberry, and spinach. Sweet and nutritious!
Velvet Hammer
This smoothie is an old favorite that we were recently able to re-introduce at Willy West, where we added Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream at the Juice & Coffee Bar. (We offer single-, double-, or triple-scoop dishes of Old-Fashioned Vanilla or Zanzibar Chocolate.) The Velvet Hammer blends espresso, ice cream, cocoa powder, and your choice of milk, plus chocolate-covered espresso beans for a little crunch.
Make-Your-own smoothies and juices
The ingredients added to make the new signature drinks (pineapple juice, coconut water, and peaches) can also be used in make-your-own smoothies and juices. Almond butter (for an additional 50¢), pea protein, and MCT oil can also be added to drinks. I should mention that we will no longer be offering substitutions on our signature drinks, but you can always order your own customized combination.
Hot Toddy
Although it’s not new, I wanted to highlight the Hot Toddy. I know many people who swear by its restorative properties when they’ve got a cold or feel like one might be bearing down on them. It’s got honey, lemon, ginger, and hot water. The honey and hot water soothe the throat and cuts the acidity of the lemon (Vitamin C!), and the ginger is thought to enhance the immune system. You can also get the Hot Toddy Concentrate, available with our pre-bottled juices, and use it to make your own Hot Toddies at home. Sometimes I get a bottle of it at the beginning of the cold season, pour it into an empty ice cube tray (that I use specifically for this purpose—it can affect the taste of regular ice cubes later), and freeze it. Then, as I feel like I need a hot toddy, I drop a few cubes into a mug, add boiling water, give it a stir, and it’s almost immediately at the temperature where I can drink it.
