Review: Twisted Alchemy Cold-Pressed Juices
There’s no substitute for fresh-squeezed juices in a cocktail… or is there? Twisted Alchemy attempts to raise the bar on ready-to-mix juices, all cold-pressed, unpreserved/unpasteurized, and ready for use. The juices are sold (and must be kept) refrigerated. To keep them from spoiling, Twisted Alchemy exposes them to “high pressure simulating 60 kilometers below sea level in order to preserve the enzymes that make the juices taste so brilliant and fresh.”
The company sent us six different bottlings to sample, which we did both solo and with various spirits. Thoughts follow.
Twisted Alchemy Cold-Pressed Costa Rican Pineapple Juice – Restrained and not overly sweet, slightly lemony. Refreshing on the finish, where lime notes emerge. Shines with vodka. A
Twisted Alchemy Cold-Pressed Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice – Unsweetened, so plan accordingly. Tart and vibrant, this juice again feels quite authentic, with a substantial pungency. That said, there’s a slight metallic note on the finish that recalls tomato juice. A splash of vodka’s a must here. A-
Twisted Alchemy Cold-Pressed Eureka Lemon Juice – It’s incredibly tough to review straight lemon juice, but the nose of fresh lemon peel and the incredibly sour, acidic punch on the palate here is nothing if not authentic. Much better than pasteurized versions. A
Twisted Alchemy Cold-Pressed Blood Orange Juice – There’s a thickness and savoriness here that, again, evokes tomato. There’s tart citrus on the nose, but the palate feels like it’s missing some needed acidity. This is one where the squeezed-from-the-fruit-as-needed version would probably excel — but who’s keeping blood oranges on hand? B+
Twisted Alchemy Cold-Pressed Persian Lime Juice – Like the lemon juice, this is a monster of tart and sour acidity, which makes it hard for the specific character of lime fruit to come through with clarity. A daiquiri made with this didn’t come together quite the way I’d hoped. B+
Twisted Alchemy Cold-Pressed Watermelon Juice – Again, this feels richer and thicker than watermelon juice should, with a distinct savoriness that feels at odds with the way this classically sweet fruit should acquit itself. I’m curious if there’s a seasonality issue here, giving this bottling a rather bitter character on the finish. The only pass in the group. C+
each $15 per 750ml bottle / twistedalchemy.com
Twisted Alchemy Cold-Pressed Persian Lime Juice
$15
