Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [29]
A bottled, though less tasty alternative, is a local fruit beverage called ‘Tropical.’ It’s sold in many stores and restaurants and the most common flavors are mora, piña, cas (a tart local fruit) and frutas mixtas (mixed fruit). Just shake vigorously before drinking or the powderlike substance at the bottom will remain intact.
Pipas are green coconuts that have a hole macheted into the top of them and a straw for drinking the ‘milk’ – a very refreshing and filling drink. Agua dulce is sugarcane water, or in many cases boiled water mixed with brown sugar. Horchata, found mostly in the countryside, is a sweet drink made from rice milk and flavored with cinnamon.
The usual brands of soft drinks are available, including some favorites you thought were long gone, like Crush and Squirt. In rural areas, and especially on buses, don’t be surprised if your soda (or your juice) is served in a plastic bag. Plastic bags are cheaper than plastic bottles or other containers, so locals fill plastic bags with a variety of beverages and sell them from coolers at the side of the road. If you are lucky, it will also have a straw, which makes it a lot easier to enjoy your drink. If it’s a long bus ride, don’t be surprised if a few people fill up the bags again and toss them from the window!
Order gourmet Costa Rican coffee and other treats at www.cafebritt.com.
The most popular alcoholic drink is beer, and there are several local brands. Imperial is perhaps the most popular – either for its smooth flavor or for the ubiquitous T-shirts emblazoned with their eagle-crest logo. Pilsen, which has a higher alcohol content, is also known for its saucy calendars featuring las chicas Pilsen (the Pilsen girls). Both are tasty pilsners. Bavaria produces a lager and Bavaria Negro, a delicious, full-bodied dark beer. This brand is popular among the young and well educated, but it’s not so easy to find outside the trendiest spots.
After beer, the poison of choice is guaro, which is a colorless alcohol distilled from sugarcane and usually consumed by the shot, though you can order it as a sour. It goes down mighty easily, but leaves one hell of a hangover.
As in most of Central America, the local rums are inexpensive and worthwhile, especially the Ron Centenario, which recently shot to international fame. The most popular rum-based tipple is a cuba libre (rum and cola), which hits the spot on a hot, sticky day, especially when served with a fresh splash of lime. Premixed cans of cuba libre are also available in stores, but it’d be a lie to say the contents don’t taste weirdly like aluminum.
Most Costa Rican wines are cheap, taste cheap, and will be unkindly remembered the next morning. Imported wines are available but expensive and difficult to store at proper temperatures. Chilean brands are your best bet for a palatable wine at an affordable price.
No alcohol is served on Election Day or in the three days prior to Easter Sunday.
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WHERE TO EAT & DRINK
The most popular eating establishment in Costa Rica is the soda. These are small, informal lunch counters dishing up a few daily casados. Other popular cheapies include the omnipresent fried- and rotisserie-chicken stands.
A regular restaurante is usually higher on the price scale and has slightly more atmosphere. Many restaurantes serve casados, while the fancier places refer to the set lunch as the almuerzo ejecutivo (literally ‘executive lunch’).
For something smaller, pastelerías and panaderías are shops that sell pastries and bread, while many bars serve snacks called bocas, which are snack-sized portions of main meals.
Lunch is usually the day’s main meal and is typically served around noon. Dinner tends to be a lighter version of lunch and is eaten around 7pm.
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Quick Eats
Street vendors sell fresh fruit (sometimes prechopped and ready to go), cookies, chips (crisps) and fried plantains. Many sodas have little windows