The Olympics are upon us!
Alas, you're not a member of Team USA nor do you have tickets to the summer games in Rio. There are still plenty of ways to get in the Olympic spirit. And if you are more likely to buy a six-pack of beer than to body-build your way to six-pack abs, there are a trio of activities perfect for you when you're not glued to the TV during those must-see, Olympic history-making moments . Here is how Atlanta drinkers can get their game on.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Summer Olympic Games at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar
From Aug. 6 and running select days through Aug. 18, Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland is hosting its own Summer Olympic Games. Forget swimming, track and field or gymnastics. The games at Atkins Park are real people sports like cornhole, ladder toss, Sonic versus Mario Olympics on Wii – even Giant Jenga. Each day will feature a different competition and the winners take home prize packs from Boulevard Brewing Company, Brewery Ommegang, Orpheus Brewing, Terrapin Brewing Company, SweetWater Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada and Ballasts Point Brewing & Spirits. Games begin at 10 p.m. Here is the schedule of events:
- August 6: Sonic vs. Mario Olympics on Wii
- August 8: Darts
- August 9: Golden Tee Golf
- August 10: Cornhole
- August 11: Ladder Toss
- August 15: Putting Challenge
- August 16: Giant Jenga
- August 17: Kan Jam
- August 18: Ping Pong
Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar, 794 N. Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta, 404-876-7249, atkinspark.com.
Meehan’s Public House Beer Olympics
All of Meehan’s Public House locations are hosting a Beer Olympics. This Olympics requires zero athleticism. Simply order one of the Ommegang beers Meehan’s is pouring, and you are entered to win the “gold medal,” a Yeti cooler with cash prizes. The final drawing will take place on Aug. 21 at the Meehan’s location at 322 East Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead.
Meehan’s Public House, locations in Atlanta, Vinings and Sandy Springs. meehansdowntown.com.
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Raise a glass to Brazil’s national spirit
The Olympics are not just a showcase of athletic skill but also a way to promote cross-cultural understanding. Drinkers, this is your opportunity to up your cultural IQ of Brazil’s famed spirit: cachaça. It’s similar to rum, the key difference being that it is made from the first pressing of sugarcane juice rather than molasses, and is the central ingredient in a caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil.
Cachaça producer Novo Fogo has released a special edition cachaça called Graciosa. The small-batch, organic spirit is aged for two years in spent American oak and finished for another 18 months in legally and sustainably acquired Brazil nut barrels. (Brazilian law prevents most native trees from being cut down, because most are classified as endangered or protected.) Graciosa offers the aroma of pecan and orchids and the flavors of cherry custard with notes of clove and anise at the finish. Novo Fogo Graciosa retails for $34.99 and is available at Alex Package Store, Ansley Wine Merchants, Mac’s Beer & Wine, Decatur Package Store and Total Wine & More.
Sip it straight or grab a lime, some sugar and ice and mix up a capirinha using this recipe from Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao.
Get ready for the Summer Olympics in Rio at one of Atlanta’s Brazilian restaurants
Read the AJC’s Ultimate Guide to Brunch in Atlanta
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