Main Street Business

When Annie Sullivan and her partner Michael Kelly took over their local juice bar during the global pandemic in 2020, their main goal was to provide an outlet for overall wellness to the Red Hook community. 

“Overall wellness from within by feeding your body good things seemed like a noble endeavor, and that’s really been our guiding light as we’ve created every product that we’ve made,” says Annie. 

Out of this idea, Bliss Juice + Smoothie bar was born. 

Every day fresh

One of Bliss’ main priorities is making all of its juices and smoothies fresh everyday. “A lot of times when you go into a juice bar, you have to check the expiration date because it was made three days ago,” says Annie. “We press everything fresh, every single day.” 

Bliss uses a cold-press method, which utilizes a three-step process that begins with washing the fresh produce. Next, the produce is pulverized at a high speed to break down the fiber. Finally, the pulp is placed in a hydraulic press and squeezed between two metal plates, which are powered by over ten tons of pressure! This method allows for all the juice to be extracted from the produce, with less than one percent of fiber remaining. 

Bliss utilizes three to five pounds of fresh greens, fruit, and vegetables per bottle, and the emphasis is placed on using raw and whole ingredients. 

“In the juice department, we think of our products as almost medicine, not a replacement, but almost medicine,” says Annie. “Every ingredient we use has its own benefits for your body, and our juicing process allows you to immediately interpolate the ingredients without your body having to break down the fiber.”

Juice flavors

Bliss offers a variety of juices aptly named for the feelings they aim to invoke. “Clarity” contains cucumbers, apples, celery, spinach, ginger, cilantro, and lemon, while “Immunity” contains carrots, pineapple, apples, ginger, turmeric, and lemon. 

“We have people who come in and treat our shop like a pharmacy where they say ‘this is what’s ailing me, how can you help me?’ We’ll prescribe them a juice or a smoothie or an immunity shot,” says Annie. “The next day they come back and say ‘that completely made me feel better, and I need another one!’” 

For your health

The claimed benefits of cold-pressed juice seem to be never-ending and include strengthening the immune system, healing the gut, removing toxins from the body, promoting weight loss, and the list goes on and on. 

“Every product that we’ve ever created has gone through a very lengthy test period. We want to provide the nutrients and benefits, but we also want it to taste amazing, fresh, and vibrant,” says Annie. 

Almost all of the ingredients that Bliss uses come from local sources, so long as they’re in season. Bliss works with Veritas Farms, which is a co-op of local farms located in New Paltz. Additionally, it sources produce from Greig Farm in Red Hook, Liberty Farm in Ghent, and Rose Hill Farm in Rhinebeck. 

“Living where we live, we have such great access to organic produce,” says Annie. 

She also emphasizes that she and Michael are always in the shop and available to help customers. “An interesting part of our business is that it’s only the two of us, so the two people who own this place are the two people who will be helping you all the time,” Annie says. “We’re always here to help our customers through whatever they’re going through.” 

Reset and cleanse

Bliss also offers juice cleanses for a variety of different reasons, whether it’s a detox from alcohol or caffeine or just a general reset. Some of its most popular cleanses include “The Reset,” a three-to-seven-day cleanse created to give the digestive system a “gentle break,” “The Mini,” a three-to-seven-day cleanse where the juices act as a healthy snack or meal accompaniment, and “The Power,” a three-to-five-day cleanse that is targeted towards those with low blood sugar or strenuous lifestyles, heavy lifters, or anyone who is in need of more protein. 

“We also have a wide variety of customizable cleanses. We like to work really closely with our clients to find something that fits their needs perfectly and helps them feel amazing,” Annie says. 

Community connections

Annie believes that Bliss has played a role in bringing “a little extra life” to Red Hook. She says that people come from all over, from Albany to Dover to Brooklyn, to visit the shop and try its juice. 

“That brings them to a town that they might normally drive through on their way to Rhinebeck or Hudson, and they find out how wonderful and beautiful Red Hook is.” Annie says. “It makes [Red Hook] a little more vibrant and a little busier.” 

Annie hopes to continue to serve the Red Hook community by creating nourishing, healing products. 

“We always love to meet new people, and we’re always here to help,” she says. “We guarantee that everything is made fresh each day.” •

To learn more visit Bliss in person at 8 E Market St. Red Hook, NY or online at blissredhook.com, or call (845) 835-8337.