Fruity Drinks

Nothing says “life of leisure” like a fruity drink, whether it be a vitamin-boosted post-workout smoothie, a boozy boat quaff or a refreshing summer ade. Edina’s array of fruity-licious liquids is a sight for sore eyes—a veritable beauty pageant of vibrant colors, clever garnishes and charming glassware. Sip, slurp and chug your way to a delicious, well-hydrated sense of well-being.   THE DOWN UNDER The Good Earth The Cadillac of all juicers, an industrial-strength stainless steel behemoth called the Nutrifaster 450, powers the juice bar at the Good Earth. It quietly extracts pure juice within seconds—no peeling, dicing or seeding required. The juice menu bedazzles: there are straight-up juices and creative combinations we’d never imagined possible. The hairstylists at next-door’s Lili Salon are hooked on the energizing Down Under, so we went with their recommendation. We watched in awe as the silver monster pulverized four whole kiwi fruits, a couple of limes and a whole apple to create the prettiest sea-foam-green frothy wonder. The zesty lime was the most prominent flavor, as eye-opening as a shot of caffeine. Available in two sizes: medium is $4.95 3460 Galleria; 952.925.1001; goodearthmn.com   WHITE SANGRIA Crave We just had to order the white sangria at Crave, if only because it contains one of our favorite white wines, an Argentinian Torrontes that has a distinctly floral and spicy bouquet, qualities that make this particular wine an optimal vehicle for an abundance of fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. The fruit is lightly mashed in curvaceous stemware, resulting in a pinky-orange elixir that’s as gorgeous and cheer-inducing as a tropical sunset. A splash of St. Germain elderflower liqueur amps ups the sweetness as well as the booze factor. This is a sneaky one: Sip slowly and watch out for pesky raspberry seeds. $11. 3520 W. 70th St.; 952.697.6000; craveamerica.com   LEMON HONEY ADE Big Bowl Galleria Lemonade might be the most popular liquid fruit quencher of all. It’s perfect as is, but also prime for embellishment. The run-of-the-mill boozed-up lemonade is called an Arnold Palmer; Big Bowl makes its own tipsy version with organic local Prairie vodka, fresh-squeezed lemon juice and raw organic honey from their own honey farm in La Fox, Illinois. The drink comes in a charming—and large!—Mason jar adorned with a skewered lemon wedge and kaffir lime leaf. It’s frothy, icy and honey-sweet without cloying—another one of those dangerously drinkable ones. $7.95. 3669 Galleria; 952.928.7888; bigbowl.com   BLACK BONITA Cocina del Barrio A mojito is a beloved Cuban drink named for the diminutive of the word mojado, meaning wet. The black bonita, i.e., “black beauty,” is a real beaut indeed—sort of like a mojito with benefits. The mojito part is fairly straight-up: a mixture of traditional white rum, simple sugar syrup, muddled fresh mint leaves, a hefty splash of lime juice and a dash of club soda. The addition of dark purple blackberries elevate the beverage to new aesthetic and gustatory heights—Cuba by way of Knott’s Berry Farm. $9.50. 5036 France Ave. S.; 952.920.1860; barriotequila.com/barrio_cocina.html   ZE GOLDDIGGER Salut Bar Américain The cocktail list at Salut is as fun to read as it is to sample, and there are fruity options galore. We weren’t sure why it’s called Ze Golddigger but it appealed to us because it sounded like a holistic apothecary’s cabinet: South American superfood acai berry, antioxidant-rich blueberries, de-stressing lavender and tummy-calming mint. We figured that such healing ingredients must offset the generous pour of Van Gogh acai-blueberry vodka. Better yet, it didn’t even taste like medicine. $11. 5034 France Ave. S.; 952.929.3764 salutbaramericain.com BERRY BLAST Jamba Juice “Liquid lunch” used to refer to the three-martini marathons à la Mad Men, but now it usually means a power-boosted smoothie break for those all-too-frequent harried days on the run. The smoothie craze has died down a bit since the 1990s, but there will always be a place in our hearts for the mega-smoothie chain Jamba Juice. There are many slurpy sensations to choose from here, most with some kind of fruit, including the “specialty smoothies” that are exclusively fruit-based and guarantee three full servings of your fruit RDA. We liked the pomegranate paradise smoothie, a.k.a. the “antioxidant Shangri-La,” with peaches, strawberries, mango and pomegranate. Plus, you can add extra potions and powders for weight loss, extra energy or cold-busting. $4.80. 7511 France Ave. S.; 952.842.9251; jambajuice.com   BORA BORA BREW Chatterbox Pub Voted best neighborhood bar and best place for a first date, this convivial joint on the Edina-Minneapolis border offers an abundance of all kinds of drinks. We discovered something fruity and unusual that just happened to be non-alcoholic. The Bora Bora brew is a light and appealing mix of pineapple juice, fizzy water and an evocative blend of “island spice” that might trick you into thinking it’s a rum drink. Never fear, you can chug several of these tasty concoctions and stay steady on your feet—and you’ll need your wits about you to kick butt at the bar’s old-school video games like Nintendo. $2.75, with one refill. 4501 France Ave. S.; 612.920.322; chatterboxpub.net   FRESH-SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE  Eden Avenue Grill  Some might think that orange juice is boring, but when was the last time you made yourself a fresh-squeezed glass? It’s a whole different animal than the stuff from a carton or can, and well worth the added expense. At Eden Avenue Grill they juice fat California navel oranges, which are sweeter than the typical, more tart Florida Valencia juicing varietal. A big orange-eating machine transforms the navels into glasses of liquid gold each morning for your all-day sipping delight. This stuff is great for breakfast or as a nice afternoon boost. Add a shot of vodka and you’ve got the healthiest screwdriver ever. Two sizes, $3 and $4. 5101 Arcada Ave.; 952.925.5628; edenavenuegrill.com