Brooklyn’s Underground Juice Club: Arnold Wu 🐳🩵

In the heart of Williamsburg, tucked behind an unmarked metal door, something special is brewing—or rather, juicing. This isn’t a storefront or a commercial kitchen. It’s Arnold Wu’s loft, where a juicer, fresh produce, and a whole lot of passion come together to create the magic of Friends & Family Juice Club. Arnold has been running presses since 2019, blending fresh for his members, who are mostly long-time friends and health-conscious juice geeks.

I recently got initiated into this underground juice movement through my partner, Richie, and now I’m completely hooked on my daily juice ritual. Texts from Arnold feel like coded messages, pickups happen at his loft, and inside the mason jars is pure, fresh-pressed health!⚡️

I’m honored to feature Arnold's juicing journey for our whaleness club 🐳. The more I get to know him, the more I’m inspired by his passion, knowledge, and generosity.

I had a conversation with Arnold to learn more about the origins of his juice program and how it became a ritual for so many of us.

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Sally: Arnold, what inspired you to start making these juices?

Arnold: Back in 2014-15, while training to be an architect, I experienced serious vision loss in my dominant eye. It stemmed from what I later learned was an inflammation-related repetitive stress injury, with few known solutions. I was advised to undergo surgery that could restore some vision but would result in permanent loss. Before taking that route, I wanted to explore alternative therapies.

I started reducing stressors in my life, adjusting my exercise routine, and changing my diet. That’s when I began researching the benefits of anti-inflammatory foods. I became intrigued by the idea of concentrating medicinal nutrients through juicing, but I quickly realized there was no juice on the market that met my standards: slow cold-pressed, 100% organic, ultra-low sugar, stored in reusable glass, and packed with dark leafy greens and inflammation-fighting, immunity-boosting plants. New York is an expensive city, so affordability and price point were high on my list of needs.

This prompted me to purchase my first juicer, and I began experimenting with medicinal plants containing anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting active compounds such as mint, mustard plant, arugula, radishes, broccoli, kale, turmeric, and ginger. It took time to work out a tasty recipe that could remain generally consistent throughout the seasons. Around the six-month mark, I began to see positive results. Slowly, my vision started returning to normal. I still don’t know if the juice was directly responsible, but I noticed other positive health changes throughout my body. That's what really encouraged me to continue this practice.

Sally: Beyond the obvious, what are some of the deeper health benefits of your potions?

Arnold: The juicing process and recipes prioritize the delivery of cross-body anti-inflammatory compounds while also providing a balanced daily supplement of micro-nutrition. I can only speak from personal experience and observations from other members of the juice club who drink it regularly. I’ve maintained a habit of consuming one juice per day for almost a decade, and the most significant observation is that my biological age seems to have slowed relative to my age cohort. I also notice that I get sick much less frequently and generally look and feel healthier.

(P.S. If you haven’t met Arnold, he has the most luscious, Rapunzel-like long shiny hair and glowing skin. One look at him, and you know he’s onto something special.)

Sally: How did this evolve from your personal healing practice into a growing movement in Brooklyn?

Arnold: I started bringing juice to dinner parties as gifts, and soon, friends and family began asking to buy it. I loved the idea of supporting my community's health and understood how daunting juicing could be for those without the equipment or time. So, I started an informal text chain announcing when I’d be pressing, offering juice at wholesale cost with a donation-based model for accessibility.

A lot of support for the project came from different people in the community. Sophie Kamin and Nate Smith, who own Allswell on Bedford ave in Williamsburg, were big backers of this project. With their restaurant expertise, they helped immeasurably, including connecting me with produce vendors and refining logistics. 

Rich Awn, who used to operate Magick City and Mombucha in Greenpoint, is one of the OG regulars who even incorporated our deep daily green juice into a kombucha flavor he named Mountain Wu! The 'Wu Juice' logo was also donated as fan art, hand-drawn and designed by Tony Lowe, known for throwing the underground Dub and Reggae Blazer parties with his buddy Nathan Corbin. Many others supported financially with donations, and for members who were in need, we at one point had a work-share program where members helped with pressing in exchange for juice. That was before I became a father—now, my schedule is tighter, but I still press as often as I can.

Sally: Walk us through your process! Where do you source your ingredients? How long does it take? When do the juice club texts go out?

Arnold: I order 100% organic produce directly from vendors in bulk. My core recipe remains the same year-round, but I sometimes create seasonal blends with whatever is most abundant. Each press takes about two days—one for prepping and processing the produce, and another for pressing and cleaning the equipment.

Juice club texts go out about a week before each press, and once the juice is bottled and ready, I notify everyone who placed an order. Simple and efficient!

Sally: Let’s talk about ‘juice face’—what exactly is that?

Arnold: It’s a nickname shared by members of our regular juice club. Most people who drink the juice consistently for two weeks to a month start noticing a natural glow in their skin. People have been calling this "juice face." :)

Sally: There’s something really special about how this grew through community. How does someone get connected, and what’s your pressing capacity?

Arnold: Right now, it’s a word-of-mouth, friends-and-family operation. Given my current fridge space and equipment, I can press about ten gallons at a time, which translates to roughly 100 twelve-ounce servings. Presses happen about every two weeks, but they go fast since people typically order in bulk (five, ten, fifteen at a time). I also keep some for my own consumption, and I also freeze any surplus for juice club members who want juice between pressings.

Sally: I saw you setting up juice at the Loft Party—how frequently do you do pop-ups or events?

Arnold: Bringing cold-pressed juice to underground dance parties is an old hobby of mine. I personally love to dance but avoid alcohol when I do. The juice is a kind of public service, encouraging a healthy beverage option for fueling a marathon-long night of dancing. It’s also a great experience to drink juice, dance, sweat all night, and feel refreshed the next day.

I used to do this a lot at amazing parties like JOY and LSD for the better part of a decade, but that was before becoming a father. Now, I go out much less often. However, to me, the Loft Party is a sacred healing event that anchors and grounds me, and I feel blessed that I can still participate and contribute to that space on a regular basis.

Sally: What’s the most rewarding part of this for you? and where do you see juice club going in the future?

Arnold: I love seeing my family and friends vibrant, resilient, and healthy. As for next steps, my daughter is starting to get interested in juice, but the current green recipe is too strong for her. I’m developing a baby green juice that’s much milder, with less ginger and turmeric, and I hope to fit it into the pressing schedule.

I’d also love to grow the press size and start a legitimate company that complies with food service regulations, licensing, and health department standards. My long-term dream? A unionized, worker-owned co-op. I’d love for the Juice Club to evolve into that one day.

Sally: Last question—if someone is hoping to join, how can they get in touch?

Arnold: I welcome any Juice Club member to refer friends and family directly to me, and I’ll be sure to add them to the list!

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.. and that’s the essence of the Brooklyn underground Juice Club—part wellness ritual, part community bond, and entirely life-changing. 🧃💗

Have you heard of Arnold's juice club? Are you already in it? Want to experience juice face? :) Join the movement! 🩵

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sally 🤍