The Omega Slow Juicer Is The Key To Proper Juice

Any bartender will tell you that fresh-squeezed juices are vital to a superior cocktail.

With lemons and limes, that's simple enough: Cut, squeeze, repeat. But when it comes to less common produce such as tomatoes, melons or pineapples, simply squeezing by hand is a recipe for pulpy disaster. And a standard juicer is not much more useful, as the fast-spinning screen cuts the fruit into tiny bits and aerates these particles, leaving lots of foam, and juice with less flavor.

We have found a secret weapon: the Omega Slow Juicer ($330; buy here). Instead of a whizzing screen, the Omega uses an auger, which slowly drills into the fruit's flesh, crushing it rather than grating it. We were tipped off to the device by the legendary Seattle barman Jim Romdall, who first discovered it while visiting fellow bartender David Wolowidnyk at West in Vancouver, Canada. It's become Romdall's go-to juicer at the reopened Vessel bar in Seattle, for drinks like the Cantaloupe Cooler (see the recipe).

Paying it forward, Romdall has shared the secret with other local barkeeps. "Omega should give me a job for all of the business I'm sending their way," he quips.

We've found our main squeeze.