Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [27]
Colombians produce and consume vast quantities of soft drink (gaseosa). In addition to the usual suspects, Postobón produces sickly sweet fruit-
flavored gaseosas in flavors like grape and apple. Less popular is the sweet cola Colombiana, for hard-core sugar freaks only.
Those wanting a quick thirst-quencher in Colombia’s often toasty climate should look first at the water faucet – Colombian tap water is good to drink. No, really. The tap water in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, most of the Zona Cafetera, and in many of the small mountain towns may be consumed without a second thought. The only important exception to this rule is the Caribbean coast, where the infrastructure is poor and the water toxic. Colombians are proud of their tap water. If you’re in a smaller town and you’re not sure, ask.
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Alcoholic Drinks
Colombians like to drink. They don’t tend to drink with meals and when they do go out drinking, many Colombians drink to get drunk. The preferred beverages for this purpose are beer, rum and aguardiente.
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The main bar zone in a city is called the zona rosa. This is where you’ll find the city’s most happening nightlife.
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Colombian beer is of the thin, pilsner variety popular in Latin America. This is understandable; in the tropical heat, you want something refreshing, not microbrewery finesse. There is no competition in the Colombian beer market – every bottle of domestic beer is produced by Bavaria, a subsidiary of SABMiller of South Africa. Club Colombia is the best of the lot. Other beers include Águila (popular on the Caribbean coast), Poker (seen more in the south), Pilsner (of Medellín), Brava (a sweet, high-alcohol brew), and the ubiquitous Costeña, whose main virtue is being cheap.
Whichever beer you imbibe, be sure to ask for it michelada. Seen nowhere else in South America, cerveza michelada is beer served in a glass rimmed with rock salt with a shot of lime juice in the bottom. It is refreshing on a hot day, and available countrywide.
Colombian rum is excellent. It is amber-colored; white rum and Jamaican-style black rum are not popular and are hard to find. Colombian rum is smooth, goes down easy and is good value for the price. Two main brands dominate the market: Ron de Caldas and Ron Medellín. Many travelers say they prefer Ron de Caldas. Supermarkets carry aged versions of the same brands, which have exceptional flavor if you don’t mind paying a bit extra. In Bogotá you may also find the white rum, Tres Esquinas.
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For anything that you might want to learn about Colombia’s coffee industry (the government version of the story, anyway), go to www.juanvaldez.com.
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Aguardiente is an aniseed-flavored white liquor popular in Colombia and sometimes seen in Venezuela. It is sickly sweet and at 27% alcohol, packs a punch. Colombians prefer it to rum because it is cheaper. Most travelers don’t like it, but it’s worth trying at least once. Brands tend to be regional. Blanco de Valle is from Cali, Antioqueña from Medellín, and Cristal and Nectar from Bogotá. Supermarkets carry a sugar-free version that claims to offer a less-severe hangover.
In nightclubs it is typical to purchase a whole bottle of rum or aguardiente (or both) to share among the group. Both are generally consumed straight-up in small plastic cups. The cocktail is undeveloped in Colombia and, in many places, unknown.
Colombia has a few vineyards producing mediocre wine that are mainly good for novelty value. Quality imported Chilean and Argentine wines are widely available.
In rural areas you may come across guarapo or chicha (the latter not to be confused with the nonalcoholic beverage from Peru of the same name). They are homemade alcoholic beverages made by fermenting maize and panela and sometimes fruit. The strength of this homebrew can vary a lot, so sip wisely.
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Slang for a hangover in Colombia is guayabo (wa-ya-bo); literal translation: ‘guava tree.’
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CELEBRATIONS
Drinking and dancing are essential