Growing up, I ate every meal at home, and most meals were cooked by our nanny, Georgi, who was also my mom’s nanny when she was growing up. So she was 239+ years old. We loved her. She was the meanest and the nicest person in the world. Only she could be mean and sweet at the same time the way she was. She had a signature “hmmm” sound that could mean she was very mad or very happy. And she made sure you knew exactly which hmmm you were receiving.

We loved picking at the food while she was cooking. Opening her pots and pans and tasting. “Georgi, when is this going to be ready?” She would roll her eyes, “Go get your homework done. Stop hanging out in the kitchen. There’s nothing here for you.” There is a universal law that food tastes the best when tasted while Georgi cooked it. It’s an indisputable fact (one that I won’t allow you to dispute should you try).

When we brought our first computer home around 1994, she thought we were crazy. “What is this? You’re going to be blind if you sit there for more than 10 minutes at a time. Get outside. Play with your sister. How do I turn this thing off?” This stream of consciousness ended in Georgi unplugging the computer from the wall without waiting for us to answer her question.

She loved us dearly, and we loved her. She would tell us stories about growing up in the countryside in Venezuela, and we could listen to her for hours. “I knew one day they would sell vegetables in a can. But I don’t like them. They don’t taste the same.” She would cook everything from scratch and created the perfect seasoning for everything she made.

Fresh squeezed juice was part of every meal at the Perez household. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. The most common flavors: passion fruit, orange, papaya, watermelon, lemonade and a combination of any of these. Tropical country, anyone? I remember spending the summers with my grandparents in Florida and thinking, “Don’t these people drink anything other than orange juice? And why do we get it at the supermarket and not make it at home?”

Between the time I came to the U.S. for college and the cold-pressed juice craze that exists today, 8 years went by where I missed juice a lot (and Georgi, all the time, but especially when I was introduced to the Penn cafeteria, where I would eat most of my freshman fifteen meals.) Now, I can grab a juice, or twenty, with much more sophisticated and exciting ingredients than what I grew up with.

When we bought our first Norwalk Juicer at Bari, I thought of Georgi. This machine would blow her mind. I wondered if she would like it. Chances are she would not. She would probably huff and puff and say something like, “People are too lazy to squeeze spinach these days. What’s wrong with people? And what is this kale you speak of? Looks like a lettuce rip-off to me.”

When juice recipe testing began, I wanted to go back to the basics. To enjoy one juice at a time, taste what a freshly squeezed (or pressed) fruit tasted like. One of my favorite juices that Georgi would make was a watermelon juice with a splash of lime. So I went to the Bari kitchen and tested the perfect ratio until we got it.

Which brings me to the real point of this long-winded (and very Georgi-centric) blog post: Red Radical.

One of our newest juices in the Bari fridge, Red Radical is made with a whole lot of watermelon and a touch of lime. It’s the perfect light, sweet and hydrating summer thirst quencher. It’s made up of two ingredients, exactly as it should be. This means no additives, no extra water and nothing artificial. Just wholesome, good-for-you fruit.

I can’t get enough of it, and I don’t want summer to end so we can keep getting these beautiful summer watermelons to make as many Red Radicals as possible. While they’re here, I’ll be drinking as many as I can squeeze (pun intended) in.

And I’m thinking my body will thank me for it. Both watermelons and limes are very nutrient dense, meaning that the ratio of calories to nutrients is incredible.

Looking for a way to ramp up your REEL or BOUNCE game? Watermelon is packed with lycopene, a carotenoid phytonutrient that does wonders for our cardiovascular health. Lime, the best supporting actress in the Red Radical cast, contains flavanoid phytonutrient compounds, which have been shown to have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.

So, you say, does this mean that with every sip of juice, I’m also actually fighting off cancer and improving my heart heath? Yes, dear Triber, it does. We chose this amazing duo not just because we’re obsessed with the taste, but because we’re creating an army of superhuman Tribers to take over the world we want every part of you to be in tip-top shape.

This juice is mouthwatering, nourishing… and some might even say radical.

Keep your eyes peeled (and taste buds ready!) for a tasting at your local Bari studio, and let us know what you think!