Truce in Uptown

Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table
Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table

Celebrities endorse it. There’s a cancer therapy center dedicated to it. Even Starbucks Corp. has jumped in on it with their recent acquisition of a cold-pressed juice brand. And now Minnesota boasts its first fully-dedicated fresh-pressed juice bar. Truce (a cheeky portmanteau of true and juice) opened in late April in Uptown Minneapolis. Consume a heaping plate full of raw fruits and vegetables or quickly chug its equivalent from a $9, 16 ounce pre-packaged bottle? Dealer’s choice.

Co-owners and Minnesota natives Blaire Molitor (above left) and Allie Pohlad (above right) met during high school and later reconnected whilst they were both contemplating next steps after graduate school (Molitor in International Development and Pohlad in Holistic Health). The duo met for lunch and upon finishing their meal agreed that the best way to complete their meal would be with a fresh-pressed juice. “My friends took me to this small pressed juice place in Los Angeles that’s been around since 1979. I had an apple lemon ginger juice and was hooked,” says Molitor. “We both had been shipping in juices from Los Angeles and New York City at crazy shipping prices and we knew a ton of other people who were doing the same. We both love Minneapolis and felt that a place that is constantly on the top of ‘healthiest cities’ lists should have access to one of the best things you can do for your body.”

Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table
Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table

Enter Truce. It’s a clean and simple storefront just four blocks off Lake Calhoun Parkway and less than two blocks from the busy Lake St / Hennepin Ave intersection. Much like the branding, the space is clean and simple: all white subway tiles with a chalkboard menu. Truce uses a large-scale hydraulic press based on the Norwalk method. Translated to home juicers, this means less air and more juice in the bottle. Much like the open-kitchen concept adopted by many upscale restaurants, the press is fully visible to customers via a glass door. If you visit early enough you might catch pounds upon pounds of fruits and vegetables meeting their maker as they’re shredded and pressed (think tons of pounds of pressure) to extract as many vitamins, minerals, and juices as possible.

At the time of this writing, Truce offers six different juice combinations. Three of those are dedicated fully to greens. They all have a kale and spinach base and are incrementally sold at levels ranging from beginner’s all the way up to “Hardcore Greens” (a thick and hearty concoction without any hint of sweet and it tastes… like the ultimate health drink). But if you identify yourself as “hardcore” and are looking to add the tangy heat of ginger extract to your brew, go down a level to “Morning Greens” — a cooling and slightly sweeter alternative. The “AMP” is built for a sweet tooth, though the crisp burst of mint barricades it from entering a syrupy territory. Although the juices are meant to supplement your diet or act as detoxifiers, a few could actually double as an alternative for someone working to curb their desserts.

Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table
Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table

Detox cleanses will ultimately be offered at one- to five-day intervals (priced at $50 per day) and two different levels. “Take it Easy” for the novice juicer and “Make a Truce” for a heavier focus on greens. “We have a cleanse guide that walks people through what to do leading up to the cleanse and how to safely come off of it, and we are always here to answer specific questions,” says Molitor. “So far the reaction has been great – juicing is one of the easiest ways to improve your overall well being, and we’re here to make it more convenient for everyone. We of course support juicing at home, but it can be messy and time consuming – I think those familiar with juicing are well aware of this so are very welcoming of someone doing the work for them,” she says.

Molitor describes the thought process behind the shop’s juice offerings: “From the start we knew what we liked and what we didn’t like – we wanted to be able to taste each individual ingredient in each juice – never having one overpowering flavor. We also didn’t want any of them to be overly sweet or bitter. We tasted every pressed juice we could get our hands on and made notes on what worked and what didn’t. We then tested recipes over and over again until we were happy with the flavor balance. We had friends and family taste them to get additional feedback. Everyone is looking for something different – some people hate ginger, some want extra – so we tried to appeal to as many varying tastes as possible.”

Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table
Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table

Molitor and Pohlad are walking advertisements of the benefits of juicing and are eager to share them with the local public. Both attribute juicing to warding off sickness, boosting energy, and even clearing their skin. “The word that comes to mind is vibrancy: since beginning a regular juicing routine I think we have both felt more energized, grounded, and generally well,” says Molitor.

Flavors:

Beginner’s Greens: kale / spinach / apple / lemon
Morning Greens: kale / cucumber / spinach / romaine / apple / lemon / ginger
Hardcore Greens: kale / cucumber / spinach / chard / parsley / lemon
Roots: carrot / orange / ginger / beet
Vacay: carrot / lime / coconut
AMP: apple / mint / pineapple
House-made Almond Milk and a variety of smoothies will be available soon.

Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table
Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table

Truce

1428 W 32nd St
Minneapolis MN 55408
HOURS:
Mon – Fri 7am – 6pm
Sat – Sun 10am – 5pm

PHONE:  (612) 825-1684
OWNERS: Blaire Molitor / Allie Pohlad

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