Purée Juice Bar - Healthy Smoothies | Bethesda, MD

Juices can be a murky business.

On one end are the sugary, made-from-concentrate imitations. On the other are the chlorophyll-packed juiced greens that contain unrivaled nutrients with less-than-pleasant flavor.

In the ideal middle zone of palatable and healthy sits the month-old Purée in Bethesda, where founder Amy Waldman blends juices, shakes and shots.

Waldman launched Purée after years of noticing that friends lacked healthy local beverage options. To make her combinations as appealing as possible, Waldman enlisted chef Steve Mekoski, who logged time at Daniel in New York, then Bernardus Lodge in Carmel, California.

His resulting drinks have a distinct balance of acid and sweetness. Easy Green ($9) combines a nutritious kale base with cucumber, apple and a hint of tart lemon juice. Mean Lemonade ($9) improves on the spicy-lemonade trend with the sweet addition of coconut nectar.

Purée also serves smoothies as a more filling option for snack substitutes or post-workout replenishment. The creamy Pro Shake ($10) combines protein-rich almonds with cacao, hemp seed and coconut. The Greensicle ($10; click here for the recipe) sneaks kale into a tropical mix of orange, banana and coconut nectar.

It should appeal to the full spectrum.

Purée, 4903 Elm St., Bethesda; 301-654-7873 or pureejuicebar.com