Fresh-Pressed Portland Juice Cleanses
The country's first drive-thru juice shop—now closed.
Image: Molly Woodstock
The holidays have come and gone in a wave of overindulgence, the eggnog hangover has worn off, and new resolutions have shamed you into a trip to the gym. Searching for a post-workout snack, however, yields nothing but leftover casseroles, gingerbread houses, and honey-glazed ham. You celebrate your successful hour of exercise with a hefty slice of pecan pie topped with a generous dollop of guilt. ‘Tis the season!
Sound a bit too familiar? Detox from the feasting frenzy with a colorful cleanse from one of Portland’s locally owned juice bars.
For three days (or more, if you’re up for it), you’ll wake to bottles of nutritious nut milk and freshly pressed fruit and veggie juices. With your meals for the day already prepared, you’ll have plenty of extra time for work, yoga, Netflix marathons, or whatever else your healthy heart desires. Meanwhile, the nutrient-packed juices will go to work, letting your digestive system relax as they supply your body with vitamins, enzymes, and healthy fats.
Now, we’ll be the first to admit that a liquid diet isn’t suitable for everyone, even on a temporary basis. (Heck, even one bottle of juice can be hazardous for someone with blood sugar issues.) And some potential juicers may balk at the recent slew of articles debating the benefits of cleansing. But if you’re up for the challenge, these local companies would be happy to help you ring in a healthful new year!
The Deal: 3–day cleanse for $150. 1–day and 7–day cleanse also available. Free delivery.
This pioneering juice company researched markets from Salt Lake to Scottsdale before hitting the ground running in Lake Oswego with the country’s first drive-thru juice bar(!). Although the LO location succumbed to redevelopment, the company has been reborn as a monthly juice subscription service, featuring free weekly delivery to anywhere in Portland, West Linn, Tigard, or LO.
Juice Box’s cold pressed juices nail the balance between savory and sweet, miraculously making blends like “The Farm”—a powerhouse of kale, spinach, romaine, beet, apple, carrot, cucumber, celery, parsley, lemon and ginger—accessible even to novice juicers.
Even more exciting than the juices, however, are the cleanses’ vegan milkshakes and pumped-up waters. “Mylk Shakes” provide protein and fat in indulgent flavors like Chocolate Almond Espresso, while “Beyond Water” enhances your hydration with chlorophyll and aloe. It may sound strange, but trust us—that swirling green chlorophyll water is fabulously minty and refreshing.
The Deal: 3–day cleanse for $170. 5–day cleanse also available. $10 delivery fee.
Pure Simple cleanses arrive in an assortment of reusable glassware in fun shapes and colors. Raw green juices—including a crave-worthy spirulina lemonade—are accompanied by an earthy pumpkin milk, zesty ginger turmeric tonic (taken with hot or cold water or as a wellness shot), and a quart of veggie miso broth. The soup is particularly appreciated during winter cleanses, when a juice-only diet leaves us sated but shivering.
Speaking of soup, the company has recently branched into stew territory; each day of its new soup & juice cleanses ($140) features a green lemonade, green juice, pumpkin seed milk, and a organic, vegan and gluten-free concoction like curried butternut squash or creamy potato leek, served with a crunchy cornbread biscuit for a perfect mid-cleanse meal.
The Deal: 3–day cleanse for $126 pick-up or $162 delivery. Half cleanses (3 juices per day) and build-your-own cleanses also available.
As its name suggests, Greenleaf offers a fabulously diverse range of delicious green juices, including pear-sweetened “Sweetleaf,” jalapeno-spiked “Spicyleaf,” surprisingly savory “Green Limeade” and orange peel-powered “Zest in Show.” Don’t let these leafy blends overshadow their fruit-focused counterparts, however; the “Wonderous Punch” will have you wondering how you ever lived without it.
The company’s highly customizable cleanses allow juicers to select from three signature flavor packages, each comprising four fruit and veggie juices, one ultra-creamy cashew milk, and a filling and fruity almond milk + juice blend. (We were delighted to discover that the “Wondrous Punch + Almond” blend tastes like a Strawberry Julius straight from the mall.) Greenleaf also enables juicers to dodge unwanted flavors like jalapeno or beets, or to replace the nut milks with more green juices. Don’t be shy to customize—after all, when all you’re drinking is juice, you need to be able to stomach it!
The Deal: 3–day cleanse for $120 pick-up or $165 delivery. Build-your-own and partial cleanses also available.
You’ve probably already sampled from Portland Juice Co.’s rainbow of fresh juice blends at a farmers market or street fair, so we don’t have to tell you how divinely delicious they are. Each day of Portland Juice Press’ standard cleanse includes five fresh juices with Sanskrit-inspired names like “Dharma,” “Prana,” and “Guru.” The package also includes a daily bottle of nirvana-inducing nut milk, like the “Om,” made from cinnamon, dates, and fresh hazelnuts, or the “Tantra,” a cold-brewed coffee beverage blended with raw almonds, dates, and nutmeg.
PJC also allows boasts an ever-changing selection of seasonal flavors; expect a number of intriguingly unorthodox sweet-savory blends, like sweet potato-carrot-apple-cinnamon and cashew-chai-carrot. Nervous about an all-liquid diet? Add a few of PJC’s nutritious raw snacks, like sprouted almonds or organic dried persimmons & mangos.
Kure discontinued their cleanses in 2014 in favor of a “6–Pack” system, which allows customers to pick select any six organic juices for a discounted rate. “We have come to the conclusion that we were selling a product we didn’t completely believe in,” Kure writes on its website. “We believe in making routine, daily choices to achieve balance, and for that reason we can no longer stand behind consuming high volumes of fructose for three days with little to no fiber.” Juicers determined to cleanse at Kure can still select from a dozen blends loaded with greens, ginger, beets, apple, and other classic ingredients.
So what do you think? Do you agree with Kure? Will you be juicing this month? Do you have a personal post-holiday detox? Let us know your thoughts (and favorite flavors) in the comments!
