I’m a huge fan of the healthy menu items that are ubiquitous back home in San Francisco. So when I was invited to interview the owner of the uber-healthy Thirst Juice Company in downtown Boston, I was so excited to find out what it was all about!
I stopped by to chat with the lovely owner Heather about what really drives Thirst. Heather is super sweet and down to earth, despite just opening such an awesome juice shop in the heart of Boston. After grabbing a juice and smoothie to enjoy, we made our way to the front of the store to discuss everything from ingredients to a cool community mission.
Q: How did Thirst get started?
Funnily enough, Heather and her husband Chris were lawyers in New York when they decided to leave the courtroom and hop into the kitchen! Both active marathon runners, Heather has been a vegetarian for 20+ years and Chris is a pescatarian, so they are no strangers to healthy food and lifestyle.
Q: Why Boston?
Heather is a Boston native, and besides, for such a healthy city, Boston is in need of more juice bars!
Q: What is Thirst’s mission as a company?
Heather and Chris are hoping to bring not only healthy juices and smoothies to Boston, but to educate them on how to maintain a healthy diet. It turns out Thirst isn’t too extreme about only having greens. They want Bostonians to know that it’s okay to have some sweets, and you can still be healthy by incorporating more juices into your diet.
Q: What misconceptions do people have about eating healthy and how would you like to change that?
The fact that juice and healthy foods can taste great. A healthy diet is definitely something that food lovers can participate in – and enjoy it!
Q: I noticed a few juices here have jalapeno in them! How do you decide how to combine your ingredients into a delish menu item?
This summer, Heather and Chris did a lot of trial and error for their (very lucky) friends, and found the best combination of ingredients for juices and smoothies. What I found interesting is that they started by seeing what solid food goes well together, and then made those combinations into healthy drinks.
Q: Did you try any concoctions that didn’t work out so well?
Sprouts didn’t work too well, they just clogged up the machines!
I tried the Berry Go Round Smoothie (strawberries replaced by raspberries, blueberries, peanut butter, coconut milk) and the Green Dream Juice (kale, cucumber, pineapple, jalapeno). While both were amazing, the Green Dream was just that – a dream to drink. It was incredibly fresh, crisp, and left me feeling super focused which I love!
Q: What’s your favorite menu item here at Thirst Juice Company?
Heather’s go-to item is the Bad Monkey Smoothie. It tastes just like a chocolate milkshake, but has all kinds of really healthy ingredients like banana, almond butter, cacao nibs, cacao powder, dates, and coconut milk. She adds in protein powder and berries for some added substance on those longer days.
Q: What’s the best menu item for a someone who is new to a healthy diet?
The Buddhabeet juice (beet, carrot, pear, pineapple, ginger) is great because it tastes more fruity, but has tons of vitamin C and beets which are actually good for your blood!
Q: What’s the best menu item for the avid healthy eater?
The Field of Greens (escarole, cucumber, apple, jalapeno) is the greenest juice at Thirst. It’s jam-packed with iron, is extremely hydrating, and just has the Granny Smith apple. This is key because apples are the fruit with the lowest sugar content they can put in a juice, and Granny Smith’s have the lowest sugar content of all apples, so it has the least possible amount of sugar while still tasting great.
Q: Where do you source your ingredients from?
Thirst sources their ingredients from local wholesalers. This is so important because it means their ingredients are as fresh as can be, while supporting the local Boston community. It’s a win-win for everyone here!
Q: Anything else you’d like Chow Down readers to know about Thirst Juice Company?
Thirst offers coffee which is brewed by Barrington Coffee Roasting Co. Barrington takes their coffee seriously, basically treating coffee like wine connoisseurs treat wine. They also sell oatmeal for the early risers and acai bowls!
It’s clear that Thirst Juice is a great company, with knowledgeable and friendly owners who are more than happy to explain the ins and outs of their shop and ingredients, while supporting the local community in the process. I’ll just have to come back and try those acai bowls soon!
Comment Challenge: What ingredients would you put in your healthy juice or smoothie?
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