Confusion reigns supreme regarding the origin of the juice bar, with many thinking it was a fairly recent American fad. The trend for juice bars actually dates back to 1950's South America – notably Brazil and Mexico. The sun-kissed beaches of Baja California are a popular holiday hot spot today and if you visit, you'll discover a wealth of thatched shacks selling hand-crushed fruit drinks – the early juice bars! It was only with the development efforts for tourism that American entrepreneurs discovered the popularity of juice bars and decided the erstwhile economy could possibly flourish in the vegetarianism obsessed USA. American juice bars evolved from the milkshake shacks of the 1960's – diet conscious Americans quickly discovering the health benefits of exotic juice drinks. Smoothy and juice bars became the fashionable new coffeehouse alternatives in New York and San Francisco, while tourist meccas like Las Vegas took a little longer to catch on. During the 1990's, the appeal of juice bars influenced the expansion of companies like Boost and Jamba into the health and fitness sector, favored above the small town chains because their juice was, and still is 100% organic. Today, you'll find juice bars at every corner of the globe, serving delicious fresh fruit infusions such as mango and berry or apple and banana. Discovery of the ubiquitous smoky acai berry, in the heart of the Brazilian rainforest has also revived the economy. Famed for its anti-oxidant properties and sultry flavor, the acai is often blended with blueberries, cherries and mango for a truly palate-pleasing, thirst-quenching drink. Did we mention it can help aid weight loss? Find your nearest bar with our jam-packed juice guide here!