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Australia was once described by revered intellectual Donald Horne as “the lucky country”. With its endless coastline, its rich natural resources and wonderful climate, Australia certainly has a lot going for it. But next month, Aussies will have an extra reason to puff out their chests and feel good about where they were born. The Olympic Games – the biggest sporting event in the world – is a chance for Australia to once again showcase its sporting prowess.
Few countries punch above their weight at the Olympics to quite the same degree as Australia. At the Beijing Games in 2008, the Aussie team brought home 46 medals, including 14 golds, and finished 6th in the medals table. For a country with just 22 million people Australia’s recent Olympic record is nothing short of remarkable.
So, if you decided to avoid the queues at Heathrow but you still want to support the team in green and gold, what better way to do it than by throwing an Olympics juice party?
Get healthy
One of the contradictions of the Games is that while the events feature world class athletes in peak physical condition, the Olympics is sponsored by purveyors of sugary drinks and fast food. You can buck that trend with your Olympics party by serving your guests freshly squeezed fruit juice.
Juice made from real fruit is a great way to stay healthy – and here’s a little known juice fact for you: a lot of juicers on the market grind and chop your fruit, which loses a lot of the nutritional value and compromises the taste. If you’re serious about juice, then it’s worth investing in a more expensive cold press juicer that will insure you get all the goodness and flavour.
Get creative
The other great thing about throwing a juice party is that your guests can get creative. They can bring their own ingredients and make their own drinks. If you really want to get into the Olympic spirit, you could try to mix up a few different combinations representing the various nations taking part.
British ex-pats can enjoy a freshly squeezed Granny Smith apple juice, while your American friends can tuck into a taste of Florida with an orange and grapefruit juice combination. Apparently the national fruit of Mexico is avocado, which might lead to some interesting beverages for any Mexicans in attendance!!
Of course a decent cold press juicer isn’t just for fruit. If you really want to bond with the athletic fraternity you can get some green vegetables involved. Vegetable juice is a great source of vitamins and minerals and can help you fight off winter cold and flu. It’s also a great chaser after a early morning run.
Get merry
One of the challenges with this year’s Olympics is the time difference. The UK is 7 hours behind Perth and 9 hours behind Sydney and Melbourne. That means a lot of the action will be taking place in the wee hours.
If good, healthy fruit and vegetable juice isn’t enough to get you through these long nights, you can always be a little naughty and add a shot of your favourite tipple. Brandy with cherry and cranberry juice is a nice little combination.