REVIEW BY CHOOSINGRAW.COM
As featured on ChoosingRaw.com:
This past summer, I got an email from Shizu and Jennifer, two local women who were in the process of launching a pressed juice line. They told me about how they’d gotten started in the corporate world, working reckless hours on Wall Street. They’d witnessed firsthand how hard it can be to make healthful choices when time is limited and packaged options and takeout abound. Ultimately, they’d both began exploring avenues to enhanced overall wellness; Shizu became a yoga instructor, and both women became juice enthusiasts.
Since juice was already an option at their workplace cafeterias–fruit juice, mind you, which was often sweeter than it needed to be–the ladies wondered if they might be able to create a juice option that was a little more nutrient dense, and incorporated some vegetables into the mix. They began researching cold pressed juice techniques, and with all of this in mind, they founded JRINK juicery here in DC this year.
One of the reasons I was immediately drawn to the JRINK brand was Shizu and Jennifer’s down-to-earth approach to juicing, and to health in general.”We believe everything should be in moderation,” they’ve told me. But they also celebrate any step to help people “move closer towards 100% real, authentic foods.” JRINKs, they say, “are meant to nourish.”
In keeping with the theme of nourishment, Shizu and Jennifer aren’t approaching juicing from an extremist point of view. While they do offer bundles and packages of juices, they make clear that you don’t have to treat these bundles as “cleanses.” In fact, they state outright that you can feel free to simply enjoy one juice per day. “We are not a ‘cleanse,’” they told me, “but we believe that juices are a beneficial supplement and the ultimate convenient means to getting a boost of nutrients in your busy life.” Shizu and Jennifer identify as flexitarians, and while they love both raw food and juice, they also love food. It’s pretty rare to meet folks who are so enthusiastic about juice but also uninterested in too much emphasis on “cleansing” or “detox.”
So, that’s Shizu and Jennifer. Now let’s talk about the super delicious drinks (or JRINKs) they’ve created.
All JRINKs are cold-pressed to preserve nutrients. They can last up to five days, and don’t include any flavorings or additives. They come in five fantastic flavors:
Fuel me up: A green juice featuring pear, kale, cucumber, romaine, & lemon.
Sweeten me up: Pineapple, apple, and mint
Pick me up: Beet, orange, carrot, and apple
Wake me up: Orange, carrot, grapefruit, and ginger
Freshen me up: Gold melon, cucumber, and mint
Yum!
The JRINKs can be ordered either a la carte or in packages. The “first timer” package (priced at $24.00, glass bottles included) includes a fuel me up, sweeten me up, and wake me up. The “JRINK deep” package includes five “fuel me ups”–all green, all the time! You can decide what works, based upon your preferences. Delivery options are Sunday evenings (7pm – 10pm) from work or home, or Monday mornings (9am – 12pm) from work or home to all zip codes within the Capital Beltway. A pickup option is also available at 1110 Congress St. NE on Sundays from 5pm – 6pm.
The ladies at JRINK were kind enough to offer me my own delicious bundle. It comes in a handy, reusable bag:
While I knew I’d adore the “fuel me up” (I’d had a sip when the drink was in beta-testing), I was amazed at how much I loved the “wake me up”–especially since citrus isn’t usually my favorite juice flavor. It’s a perfect mix of tangy and sweet, all united with the spice of ginger. The “sweeten me up” is definitely sweet, but it’s perfect after a yoga class or a workout, and the mint keeps it incredibly fresh. I should also mention that, while the “freshen me up” wasn’t in this bundle, I also tasted a very early version, and it was fantastic–so light and refreshing (maybe not very seasonal right now, but perfect for summer).
I also love the beautiful glass bottles, which are both stackable and reusable (I’ve been putting my almond milk in them for storage).
As promised, the JRINKS lasted five days. I had one each day as or with a snack, and really enjoyed the flavors. While I don’t manage an office schedule this year, I can absolutely imagine how beneficial these elixirs would be to someone who does. The JRINK ladies like to say that they offer “fresh pressed solutions for life pressed people.” Their juices would be a wonderful addition to any workplace environment, and indeed the JRINK ladies are in the midst of planning corporate wellness workshops offerings for their patrons.
I’m happy to say that I’ll be partnering with Shizu and Jen this year on a couple of healthy living workshops. It’s great connecting with two local ladies who are that rare combination of health-minded and grounded. But in the meantime, Shizu and Jen are busy as can be. Their next event is a collaboration with 85 Broads, a network of female entrepreneurs who invest in each others’ success. The event will be held at Epic Yoga (where JRINK juices are sold), and Shizu will be leading a yoga class beforehand.
If you’re in the DC area, and you’d like to try JRINKs for yourself, there are lots of ways you can explore the brand. You can find JRINKs at Epic Yoga a la carte. JRINKs will also be wholesaling soon at Pleasant Pops in Adams Morgan, and they’ll also be available via Relay Foods (another favorite local brand).
It’s always great to connect with folks who are creating great products and sharing a positive mission. It’s been lovely to get to know the JRINK team, and I really look forward to watching them share their delicious juices with DC.
ChoosingRaw.com is a blog devoted to vegan and raw food recipes, and musings about health, wellness, and body image. Her work has been published in O Magazine, VegNews Magazine, Food52,and Whole Living Daily.