Drinking
Mellow-tasting Costa Rican coffee is among the best in the world, and it's usual to end a meal with a small cup - the coffee is traditionally served in a pitcher with a separate pitcher of heated milk. The best blends are export, which you can buy in stores and are served at some cafes. Also good are refrescos , cool drinks made with milk ( leche ) or water ( agua ), fruit and ice, all whipped up in a blender. You can buy them at stalls or in cartons, though the latter tend to be sugary. You'll find herb teas throughout the country; those served in Limon are especially good. In Guanacaste you can get the distinctive corn-based drinks horchata and pinolillo , made with milk and sugar and with a grainy consistency. In addition to the many imported American beers , Costa Rica has a few local brands, which are not bad at all. Most popular is Imperial (light draught, American-style), followed by Bavaria (sweeter, more substantial and slightly nutty). Of the local low-alcohol beers, Bavaria Light is a good option; Tropical is a bit more watery. There is an indigenous hard-liquor drink, guaro , of which Cacique is the most popular brand. It's a bit rough, but good with lime sodas. For an after-dinner drink, try Cafe Rica, a creamy liqueur made with the local coffee. Costa Rica has a variety of places to drink , from shady macho domains to pretty beachside bars, with some particularly cosmopolitan establishments in San Jose. The capital is also the place to find the country's last remaining boca bars , atmospheric places which serve bocas (tasty little snacks) with drinks. Gringo grottos abound, especially in the beach towns, while in many places, especially port cities like Limon, Puntarenas and Golfito, there are the usual contingent of rough, rowdy bars, their seediness advertised by the giant Imperial placards parked right in front of the doors to block views of the inside. In general, Sunday night is dead: many bars don't open at all, while those that do, tend to close at around 10pm or so. Though Friday and Saturday nights are, as usual, the busiest, the best nights to go are often during the week, when you can enjoy live music, happy hours and other specials. The drinking age in Costa Rica is 18, and many bars will only admit those with ID. A photocopy of your passport page is acceptable.
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