A Visit with the Ladies of Heartbeet Juicery

Who: Maria Margolies and Danniel Swatosh
What: Heartbeet Juicery, a cold-pressed, organic, raw, locally-sourced juice and smoothie company
Where: New York City

For the last 12 years former professional dancer Maria Margolies has practiced and taught Ashtanga yoga. During that time that she developed an interest in juicing and began making her own cold-pressed fruit and vegetable juice, which her friends loved. In 2010 she met her business partner Danniel, and together they started Heartbeet Juicery, which now delivers juice throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Heartbeet’s juices are made with Maria’s own blend of herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables. She focuses her flavors on what’s available seasonally, and doesn’t pasteurize or high-pressure process the juice. (This helps preserve both the flavor and inherent vitamins and minerals.) “We try to stay seasonal and work with local farms,” Maria says. “We have signature drinks that stay through the year and other that rotate between the seasons.”

The fall juices, Maria says, are full of leafy greens and root vegetables. (This is different than the summer offerings, which are typically lighter and more refreshing, like pineapple jalapeño and watermelon mint.) There are also a few delicious cold-brew coffee concoctions “that will leave you addicted!” Heartbeet also carries a line called Tidbits, or a mix of nuts, dried fruit, seeds that are “great for those who want a delicious and nutritious snack and not feel guilty,” says Maria.

One of Heartbeet’s signature drinks, Super Greens, contains on average 2.5 pounds of greens in each drink! “So even if you forgot to eat a stitch of greens all day, we’ve got you covered,” says Maria. Their delicious Almond Masala drink is made from sprouted, pressed almonds and ginger, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, and cardamom, which makes for a delicious, warming drink perfect for cooler weather. “Almond milk’s high protein content will keep your energy up while the masala spices… warm the body,” Maria says.

I loved getting a glimpse into the space where they make all their fabulous drinks! Thanks for sharing, Maria and Danniel!

Thinking of trying your hand at juicing or making nut milk at home? Keep these two tips in mind for the most beneficial results:

Use mostly vegetables with some fruit: Maria recommends using around 70% veggies and 30% fruit in order to keep the sugar content low and get the most vegetables possible. Heartbeet’s Super Greens juice, for example, contains romaine, celery, parsley, apple, kale, lemon, cucumber, spinach, and ginger.

Soak all nuts first: Any nuts you are using to make nut milks, including almonds, should be soaked overnight in water for at least 8 house. This is called sprouting. Then blend the nuts with anything you want. Try “a little honey, cinnamon, dates depending on your taste,” Maria says. “Press it in a nut bag and you have the most delicious creamy healthy vegan milk option.”