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Costa Rica's National Drink: Guaro

Guaro leads the list of traditional alcoholic drinks in Costa Rica. It’s a generic term for rum, and the taste and quality varies in different parts of Latin America. Some locals insist guaro was invented by the Guaro Indians, but they are so tiny that no one has been able to find them to confirm this. Many find it a potent, even crude spirit. But some tourists go home raving about the stuff. If you want to experience it safely, the main thing to know is to not to drink it straight like tequila: a couple of shots may numb various parts of your body you might have planned to use later in the day.

Guaro

Guaro-based mixed drinks usually consist of pouring a shot or two into a glass of Fresca and ice. That’s how most Costa Ricans prefer it. It also mixes well with other tangy soft drinks like Coke and fruit juices. I like it in a Mojito. Similar to other Central American versions. Limes are chopped up with sugar; guaro is added and the concoction is than poured over ice. Very refreshing and has a good punch for your buck!

Until this year, all Costa Rican guaros were locally bottled by Cacique. Red label and black label are most common, both with an image of "Quatro Plumas," the four-feathered Indian Cacique (which means "chief"). Blue and orange labels are also available; one is a gin-type booze, but no one who has drank both blue and orange can recall which was which. But now other brands are imported from South America and Honduras, which produce higher quality hooch.

More Articles: Tales of the Guaro

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