I Dream Now Travel Blog

Getting absolutely GUARO-oed on the national drink of Costa Rica

So what is Guaro you ask? It’s a common myth that Costa Rica doesn’t have a national drink.  In a nation of drinkers as prevalent as this one: of course there had to be a national drink, and what better then local moonshine dressed up in a respectable bottle and sold everywhere.

Costa Ricans love their booze as much as anyone; historically more then most.  I tried to find some related statistics to share with you, but my research came up empty. I can tell you that I met many Costa Ricans or Ticos (as they like to be called), during my stay, and they all had the same thing to say when it came to alcohol.  “Tico’s love to drink; love it.”  Well, I guess that will have to do.  

Many travelers and Tico’s won’t touch the stuff.  Bollocks I say!  I loved it.  Here is how to enjoy it, and get Guaro-oed like we say at the Botella de Leche; the finest hostel in C.R.  Straight up it tastes like a mild ouzo with a rubbing alcohol finish.  For shots, definitely chill it and add some fresh squeezed limes to the shaker; refreshing and cheap.  For cocktails, any juice will do; but a lemon lime juice is the best complement to this moonshine liquor.  Like all moonshines, the effects on the body and mind are like a hot knife through butter; so take it easy at first.  It also tends to linger longer in the system then most other boozes.  I can tell you on many occasions in the morning while trying to get up early to make high tide; I was defiantly still Guaro-oed.  Dizziness and wrenching headache had me climb right back into bed and try again tomorrow; both the surfing and Guaro.                                                        On my third night out in Tamarindo, we had a good group of travelers from the hostel hit the town together.  The idea of doing some shots eventually surfaced; later reports indicating I was the culprit.  So when we asked the bartender what the cheapest shots were; the bartender said with a knowing smile: “Guaro of course, it’s the national drink of Costa Rica”.  Perfect.  As first time Guaro drinkers, soon to be experts, we did them straight up; no ice or limes, in Dixie cups that were three quarters full.  They were a thousand Colones each (two dollars), looking at the shear monstrosity of the shots in front of us; we thought it was a superb value and the next best thing to sliced bread.  What ensued was shear drunken madness.  I won’t attempt to describe it; partially because I don’t remember shit about it.  I will tell you we did have a great night and Guaro became a short of local legend and tradition at the hostel.  The night finished with Kalen and I, my new obliterated buddy, in a heated debate over the book The Power of Now.  It almost ended badly until we both realized what belligerent fools we were when the sun started to rise.  I got a funny facebook message a month later from Kalen that made me laugh my ass off.    “I just wanted to inform you that I’m currently reading the Power of Now. hahaha, hope all is well dude, see ya again sometime soon!”  Apparently on Guaro, Kalen was able to passionately debate the book without ever reading it. LOL  Cheers buddy and Pura Vida forever.                                                                                                                                                 On Guaro the all knowing Wikipedia had this to say. “It is a clear liquor made from sugar cane, and therefore has a slightly sweeter taste than comparable liquors. Guaro is a popular alcoholic drink in Costa Rica, although in many places guaro can refer to almost any liquor. Guaro is made by a distillation process of sugarcane juices, resulting in an alcohol that is clear in color and has a slightly sweet flavor.Sometimes guaro is referred to as a “soft vodka” because it has a lower alcohol content than vodka. In Costa Rica, the government nationalized the manufacturing of Guaro in an effort to quell the clandestine production of liquor. The “Fabrica Nacional de Licores” (National Liquor Factory) was founded for this reason, and currently produces the only legal brand of Guaro, the Guaro Cacique.  Some clandestine liquor production still occurs, but it is seen more as a tradition than a business because as it would be difficult to compete with the nationally produced guaro.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guaro_%28drink%29

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