by Laurel Miller
The juice trend is hardly new, but winter in a remote ski town like Aspen means a dearth of locally grown ingredients. Happily, more family farms in the region are utilizing hoop houses to extend their growing seasons, and the Western Slope is Colorado’s “banana belt,” providing a year-round supply of crops like root vegetables and greens.
The benefits of juicing include better absorption of vitamins and minerals, boosted immunity and increased energy and hydration, says Lindsay Mills, holistic health coach and co-owner of Carbondale’s Tonic Juicery (320 Main St., #102, tonicjuicery.com). All of Tonic’s juices are raw, cold-pressed and made from organic ingredients, using Colorado crops like Paonia apples whenever possible. This winter, after a day on the slopes, try the warming Golden Mylk (Brazil nuts, turmeric, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, dates and vanilla).
In Aspen, locals’ favorite juice joints include Spring Café, which does organic beverages like the Spring Shake with kale, avocado, almond butter, dates, fresh coconut and housemade almond milk (119 S. Spring St., springcafe.org). At Jus Aspen (501 E. Hyman Ave., 970.710.7063) grab a cold-pressed bottle to go, like the Charcoal Lemonade (alkalized water activated charcoal, lemon juice, wild-flower honey). The Little Nell’s Element 47 restaurant (675 E. Durant Ave., thelittlenell.com) makes breakfast juices, some with ingredients grown at the hotel’s garden. Try the Green Machine—kale, celery, cucumber and apple—for crushing a hangover.