THUNDERCLOUD - Carrots & Ginger

🌩️ THUNDERCLOUD: The Shot I Make, Drink, and Swear By (Even at 3AM on a Night Shift)

By John Nickolls

HGV driver. Campervan crusader. Drone whisperer. Carrot blender.

Right, let’s get one thing out of the way: I didn’t invent Thundercloud to be subtle. I didn’t make it to sip gently while journaling under a Himalayan salt lamp.

No.

I made it because I needed something that could keep up with me.

My days go from driving railway plant at daft-o-clock, to flying drones over Cannock Chase, to cooking air-fried sausages in the van, to editing videos with one hand while knocking back a ginger shot with the other. I don’t stop. So I needed a shot that wouldn’t either.

That’s where Thundercloud comes in.

🥕 What Is It?

It’s 100ml of root-fuelled brilliance.

It’s 3.5 of your 5-a-day, blended like it’s being interrogated, and filtered through muslin cloth like it’s prepping for a gala dinner.

Imagine a carrot, a lemon, and a lump of ginger walked into a blender and came out looking like they’d joined the SAS. That’s Thundercloud. Bright orange. Bold. And totally unapologetic.

⚡ Ingredients (Like a health checklist with attitude)

• 600g of carrots – Because I like to see in the dark. Also… it’s called Thundercloud. It’s got to glow.

• 200g of ginger – Raw. Unpeeled. Like a hangover cure crossed with a riot squad.

• 250g of apples – For balance. Because, believe it or not, I’m not trying to kill people.

• 100g celery – Keeps it light. Hydrating. Slightly posh.

• 1 whole lemon – Skin on. Pith in. Maximum zing.

• 200ml orange juice – The polite bit.

• 200ml water – The blender’s lifeline.

• 30g vanilla protein – For muscle recovery and smugness.

• 25g honey – So it doesn’t take your face off.

• Turmeric & black pepper – The inflammation assassins.

• Cayenne pepper (optional) – If you’re feeling bold or under attack from pollen.

• Orange food dye – Because if it doesn’t glow, is it even worth it?

🌀 How I Make It (From the worktop of Vanilla, my VW T6.1 campervan)

1. Chop everything up. Rough and ready. No peeling. This isn’t the Bake Off.

2. Chuck it into the Ninja, protein and all.

3. Blend on high for 2 minutes – long enough to make the neighbours worry.

4. Strain it through muslin cloth. Why? Because we’re classy. And I don’t want bits in my beard.

5. Funnel it into bottles, whack it in the fridge next to the chutney and the dog’s leftover chicken.

That’s it. Thundercloud lives.

💥 What It Feels Like

It hits your mouth like a firework, zings your gums into next week, then wraps your throat in a warm gingery blanket.

It doesn’t taste “nice” — it tastes alive. You feel it working. Like a pre-workout. Or a detox. Or an ex with opinions.

You don’t sip Thundercloud while reading poetry.

You drink it while standing in your pants at 5am, trying to decide whether to fix your drone gimbal or make sourdough.

🧠 Health Breakdown (I checked with Google and didn’t argue with it)

• Carrots: Beta-carotene. Good for eyes. Also make your skin look “radiant”, according to Saffy.

• Ginger: Anti-inflammatory. Digestive aid. Anti-boredom.

• Lemon, celery, apple: Detox central.

• Honey + vanilla protein: Keeps it mellow and functional.

• Turmeric + black pepper: Joint saviours. And they sound like a crime-fighting duo.

• Orange dye: Has zero benefits. But makes it look like it’s about to explode. Which I like.

🚛 Why I Drink It

Let me paint a picture.

I’ve done a full shift for A.P. Webb, reversing 50 tonnes of railway kit in the pitch black while someone called Darren waves at me with a traffic cone.

I’ve got one eye on the CCTV, one ear on Radio 6, and I’m running on two hours of sleep and half a pasty.

What do I reach for?

Thundercloud.

It wakes me up better than coffee. It settles my stomach after Greggs. And it makes me feel like I’ve made a good life choice, which is rare for a man with three label printers and four drones.

📦 How I Use It

• 100ml shot first thing in the morning – with a smug nod.

• Keep a bottle in the camper fridge for when I need to feel like Bear Grylls.

• Occasionally take a flask of it up Cannock Chase, sip it like a medieval potion, then fly Twitch the drone like I’m filming a documentary.

💰 Cost Breakdown (Nailed it)

Item

Approx Cost

All ingredients

£5.35 for 1.6L (10 shots)

Per shot (100ml)

53p

Health benefits

Priceless

Facial expression

🔥😅💪

Sell it to your mates for £1.80 a shot and you’ve got yourself a profitable wellness empire with minimal overhead and maximum root content.

🧃 Serving Tips

• Serve chilled, obviously.

• In a glass bottle, because you’re not an animal.

• Shake it first – protein settles, like me after a bacon sandwich.

• Drink it all in one go, then strut around like you’ve just conquered a mountain (or installed HomePods in every room).

🌩️ Summary

Thundercloud isn’t just a shot. It’s a lifestyle choice.

It’s ginger in high gear. Carrots in command. Vanilla protein bringing the bassline.

It’s for people like me:

• Who live half their life in a campervan

• Who want to feel better without doing yoga in a field

• Who think “health” should taste like something and do something

It’s carrot-powered courage.

Filtered fire.

Zing in a bottle.

It’s Thundercloud.

And it lives in my fridge.

Next to the jam.

And a fully-charged drone battery.

Want this in PDF? Sticker? Postcard? I’ll even write a Thundercloud jingle. Just say the word, and we’ll ride the lightning. 🌩️🥕