One of the highlights of living in our great city is the bevy of food trucks we have. What we don’t have, however, is an eco-friendly juice and smoothie truck! Imagine your summer yoga sesh in Millennium Park and walking out to find a delicious organic juice blend waiting for you in the Chicago heat. Herb-N-Juice is a startup company created by Joe Wehrli. Wehrli, originally a Midwesterner, moved to California for a bit and was inspired by the holistic juicing culture. His focus is on organic, local produce, and homemade vegan protein blends, delivered in a green juice truck (a cool tech-ed up golf cart). Wehrli intends to expand to a store front eventually and will include healthy bowls, cold pressed juice and smoothies.
We had the pleasure of trying the goods this past Saturday at a Chicago Food Bloggers Tasting Party alongside Wehrli’s amiable family and friends. We were treated to 4 different juices, 2 smoothies and 1 bowl. Here’s all the juicy details!
Juice 1:
Orange, apple, carrot, celery, ginger
The color was a vibrant tangerine with a sweet carrot smell. Wehrli intends this to be his morning blend to give you a quick jump in the morning as a substitute for your morning caffeine fix. The taste was a good balance with no overpowering fruit or veggie flavors. It has a clean finish with a sweet aftertaste.
Juice 2:
Beet, Apple, Pomegranate, Lemon, Cucumber, Carrot
This is the detox heavy hitter of the bunch. Kate’s not a huge fan of beets and found the juice to be palatable and less earthy (thankfully) compared to other beet blends. Monica loved the bright rosey color (contributed by the pomegranate) and loved the light texture.
Juice 3:
Granny smith apple, celery, kale, cucumber, lemon, pineapple, pomegranate
This green blend is surprising with it’s limey color and balanced flavor. It is neither too tangy nor too sugary.
Smoothie 1:
Chocolate almond milk, organic peanut butter, banana, homemade vegan protein powder, greek yogurt
We both loved the smoothie which is surprising as Monica detests all things banana. The protein powder (Wehrli’s own mix of hemp seeds, chia seeds, lucuma, maca and a few other vegan high protein sources from a natural provider, Nuts.com) is mild and doesn’t detract from the flavor of the chocolate and peanut butter.
Smoothie 2:
Coconut-almond milk, acai puree, banana, mango, strawberry
This tropical blend is delicate and bright. Both of us enjoyed the frozen purple milk-shakey texture and the coconut touch.
Wehrli also served up a diabetic friendly juice with green apple, mint, parsley and other greens. Although it is not as fruit filled, it is pleasant and maybe even preferable for veggie lovers with it’s alkaline nature.
By now, we’re sure you’re begging to find out where the truck is waiting to grab some easy nutrients. Well, that’s where help is needed. Wehrli’s truck is still in process as it is electric, has solar panels AND, unlike most food trucks, the juices and smoothies are made on site. Many food trucks make their product at a stationary location and then bring it out, pre-cooked, into the world. This emission free concept has run into some financial snags as Wehrli is attempting to be green with every aspect of his business. Wehrli will also utilize plant made cups that are fully compostable. So what are you waiting for?! If you can, help get Herb-N-Juice on the road by donating to their kickstarter campaign. Depending on your donation, you may get a rad Herb-N-Juice Tshirt or every hipster’s fave (including our own), a mason jar with the cute Herb-N-Juice logo.
Juice up! Winter will be over soon and your swimmy suit is waiting in the wings. 🙂
Chi Organic Girls 