Coming to a tropical country like Costa Rica it is very important that you keep drinking enough fluids not to dehydrate. But thanks God, there are also other good drinks than just the famous Costa Rican coffee and bottled water. Favourite non-alcoholic drinks are fresh fruit juices, some of not so well known fruits such as Tamarindo, Guanábana (sour sap) and Cas (guava), Maracuya (passion fruit) and Mora (blackberry). It’s very common to ask for a drink made out of fresh pineapple, (water) melon, papaya or bananas on a milk (smoothy) or water basis. The excellent quality of the fruits turn it into a real tropical experience and because of the variety fruits, there is enough material to experiment on a daily basis to discover your favourite drink. For people who are looking for a Costa Rican drink with a bite, there are a couple of excellent local spirits, varying from beer to hard liquor. The local brewery, partially owned by Heineken, offers a nice range of good beers, The most popular to drink is Imperial, followed by Pilsen. Both golden pilsner type beers, with a sweet hint and perfect to quench the thirst after a long day in the sun. The most popular strong alcoholic drink is guaro. Guaro is a generic name for a strong alcoholic drink alike rum that is produced from sugar cane. The term guaro is widely used in Latin America. Of course you can try the illegally distilled drinks, which will not only be very hazardous, but no doubt also very disappointing taste wise. The latter also goes for cheap drinks marketed under dubious names like Ronrico, Vodka Oso, etc. A better drink to chose is guaro Cacique, the national drink of Costa Rica. Almost nobody drinks it pure. It’s great though in a Cuba Libre and refreshing in a Costa Rican style Caipirina. Popularity is partly because of the low price, a one litre bottle of the red labal will cost you no more than eight dollars. The more sophisticated should chose for the black label. On the label of the bottle there is the face of a proud Indian; the word cacique means chief. But Costa Rica is also part of the Caribbean and a very popular drink especially in the Province of Limon is rum. A very common combination is rum with milk. One of the best rums in the world is made in Costa Rica: Ron Centenario. Especially the aged version ‘Anejo’ is very smooth and delicious even to drink straight or on the rocks. Most people prefer to drink rum with cola though or as an ingredient in a tropical cocktail like a pina colada. Most bars offer a wide range of rums, from the middle of the road Bacardi to better Caribbean rums such as Flor de Cana (Nicaraguan), Appleton (Jamaica) and Centenario. Costa Ricans love a taste of lime in their drink and don’t be surprised to see them drink a beer mixed with salt and lime juice. No wonder tequila shots are popular too. In the metropolitan area of San Jose in the Central Valley a wide selection of imported beers and liquor is available in bars and stores, so no need to worry for visitors who are looking for their ‘usual’ drink. Salud (cheers)!