Berkli Dias’ favorite juice, Brilliant Beet, is one of many beverages made from scratch at Freshness In A Bottle, including smoothies, juice shots, almond milk, chia seed pudding and more. Photos: Chris Emeott
Young entrepreneur Berkli Dias brings a healthy beverage alternative to the Valley.
Berkli Dias is 15 years old and already a successful business owner. At Freshness In A Bottle in downtown Stillwater, Berkli is serving up cold-pressed juices and learning the ins and outs of entrepreneurship at a young age.
Growing up on Eagle Eye Farm in River Falls, Wisconsin, Berkli helps care for the family’s diverse herd of animals, including alpacas, Kunekune pigs and goats. Since founding Freshness In A Bottle in May 2024, she’s also balanced a busy schedule of academics and swim team practices with running her business.
“I have been a competitive swimmer for almost my whole life, and I’m super passionate about it. It’s my thing,” Berkli says. “A couple years ago, when I got really serious, I realized you can’t get your goals accomplished by just working out; it has to be from your nutrition too.”
Since she’s not a vegetable person, Berkli found that juicing was the perfect fix. And as her interest grew, she discovered a way to build on the family business. “We used to have sodas in our farm store,” Berkli says. “I remember one day, I was working at the store, and someone was buying a soda. I was like, ‘Why are we selling soda?’”
After a conversation with her mom, Kerri Harting, Berkli was encouraged to find an alternative. Now, her products provide a tasty, fun alternative to sugary drinks while providing essential nutrition from fresh fruits and vegetables. Freshness In A Bottle operates out of All Things Sheared, Harting’s storefront on Stillwater’s Main Street.
“I think it can really help other people in the same way that it helped me,” Berkli says. “That’s really exciting for me because it’s so hard to eat healthy all the time. This is such a good solution. If I can share that with just a few people, that’d make me happy.”
In early 2024, Berkli and Harting took a multiweek course from Goodnature, a juicing company, to learn all about juicing, the nutritional benefits of specific fresh ingredients and winning flavor combinations. The result is a diverse menu of juices with specific health benefits.
Berkli Dias displays house-made juice options available at Freshness In A Bottle, a juice shop located inside All Things Sheared in downtown Stillwater.
Berkli’s favorite blend is Brilliant Beet, a juice made with apples, carrots, beets, ginger and oranges. “I drink it right before swim meets because it helps with your endurance,” Berkli says, adding that beets are known to help aid muscle recovery after exercise.
The most popular juice at Freshness In A Bottle is Perfect Pear, a sweet green juice. “It has pear, apple, celery, cucumber, kale and an algae called spirulina, which turns the juice blue and has anti-inflammatory properties,” Berkli says.
Freshness In A Bottle sources its ingredients locally whenever possible. “It’s easier in the summer, but there’s a farmers market right up the street, so we would go there every week,” Berkli says. Armed with a lengthy list of potential ingredients, Berkli is inspired to try new recipes and ideas with produce from local growers.
Beyond juices, Freshness In A Bottle also offers açai bowls, chia seed pudding, French press coffee, house-made almond milk, hot chocolate, hydrating waters, overnight oats and smoothies.
Even as the new kid on the block, Berkli has made meaningful connections with other business owners in downtown Stillwater. “On Main Street, I know almost all the business owners,” Berkli says. “They come in and talk to me and stuff. It’s so nice I can go to any store and talk to anyone about anything.”
In January, Freshness In A Bottle partnered with Wild River Running for a juice tasting. “They did a class, and they gave their runners our juices,” Berkli says.
Despite not being able to be at the store every day due to her busy student schedule, Berkli loves watching people enjoy her juices—especially kids. “I feel like you don’t just give your kid a salad, but kids come in and they want my juices,” she says. “It’s so rewarding because then you’re not arguing with your kid about eating veggies!”
Freshness In A Bottle
125 Main St. S., Stillwater; 612.123.4567
Facebook: Freshness In A Bottle
Instagram: @freshnessinabottle
TikTok: @freshness_in_a_bottle
