Meet the People Popularizing Sugarcane Juice in Denver

Formerly confined to the tropical regions of the world, sugarcane juice has become more popular in the United States, but in Denver, options have been limited. Those seeking out the beverage, which is made from the extract of crushed sugarcane, could find it at places like New Saigon Bakery and Kutea on South Federal Boulevard and Konark Grocers in Highlands Ranch.

But now sugarcane juice is expanding beyond its previously niche audience in the Mile High and into the spotlight.

Lucky Canes, a sugarcane juice-centered business that includes catering services and a new food truck, is one of the main players making this happen. Co-owners David Nguyen and Kim Pham started the business as an offshoot of Hype Tea, which Nguyen's family opened at 6350 Sheridan Boulevard in Arvada last May.

As Vietnamese Americans, Nguyen and Pham both grew up drinking sugarcane juice, though its availability in Colorado was severely limited. Pham recalls trying it when her parents took her back to Vietnam, while Nguyen remarks that when visiting California, "I would only drink [sugarcane juice] over there because I missed it so much."
"The flavor of sugarcane is a little hard to describe, because it's very unique, but it has a very refreshing taste to it," Pham says.

When Hype Tea debuted, Nguyen suggested selling sugarcane juice as a way to experiment with other drinks. After visiting California with his parents to research suppliers and methods of making sugarcane juice, Pham and Nguyen ultimately decided to go through with the idea. 

"Only 33 percent of our customers come in knowing exactly what sugarcane juice is," Nguyen says. Despite this, he isn't worried about people remaining unaware or being apprehensive to try it. "If we put out a good product, word will spread, and you can't go wrong with giving out something that's really good."

This emphasis on excellence is a large part of Lucky Cane's overall mission. It focuses on the quality, flavor and cleanliness of the final drink. "Kim and I scrub the sugarcane stalks for hours just to make sure it's clean, and always make sure we're cleaning our machine," Nguyen says.

Lucky Canes offers several variations on sugarcane juice, with the strawberry and kumquat blends being the most popular. Pham explains that the process of introducing new menu items involves a lot of taste-testing and trial and error. "There are a lot of ones that didn't make the cut. For example, David's favorite is kiwi, but we decided against it."

"We originally had about twelve to fifteen flavors, but we ended cutting down after seeing people's reactions," Nguyen adds.

Pham's favorite is a concoction of strawberry, passion fruit and sugarcane juice. "We allow mixing of flavors at events where we're there in person, but we are working on allowing this at our Hype Tea locations," she says.
To advertise the business initially, Nguyen and Pham's families helped connect Lucky Canes with events happening on college campuses. After an event, Pham recalls how word would naturally get around, leading to more events. Lucky Canes also set up booths at farmers' markets.

Although Nguyen and Pham are just 23 and 19 years old, respectively, they believe that their age gives them an advantage in the industry. As Pham says, "We were really able to modernize the flavors we used with sugarcane and gain a lot of followers through social media. One of our TikToks blew up and gained over three million views. There were a lot of comments asking about sugarcane, too."

Pham, who is studying business entrepreneurship and graphic design at the University of Colorado Denver, has also brought her artistic background to the company. She created the logo, cups and design for the food truck.

The main challenge so far has been figuring out the layout of the food truck, since there wasn't an example to follow. "If you want a taco truck, they'll have all the plans ready for you to choose from, but I need to know what I needed and where I needed it," Nguyen says. "We're still working on the food truck, because we realized we needed other things after our first event."

Nguyen is excited to "drive around more" and "spread sugarcane juice faster than having a storefront," he says of going mobile. He also likes "talking to the people instead of having them come to Lucky Canes."

For many, the rise of sugarcane juice in Denver is more nostalgic than new. Nguyen comments that "a lot of older Asian Americans say, 'Oh, I haven't had this in years,' and that it brings back a lot of memories for them."

Another sugarcane juice spot to look out for is Vita Cane Sugarcane Juicery and Superfood Acai, a popular franchise in California and Texas that is opening its first Colorado outpost at 1000 South Federal Boulevard.

To learn more about Lucky Canes, including where to find its new truck, follow it on Instagram or TikTok.