In this Daily: Costa Rican Cocktails and the Changing Landscape of Beverage in Costa Rica
We mentioned the upcoming session on The Costa Rican Cocktail in our weekly update, and today we’re taking a deeper look at this activity and how it fits into the landscape of Costa Rican cocktail preparation. The experience will be hosted on Wednesday at 2pm in the Beach Club, and tackles how the vegetables and fruits of Costa Rica can be used to create special drinks and interesting flavors.
To join the event, you can email concierge and RSVP. Cost will be $15 per person.
In the past 15 years or so, international booms in cocktail making and craft brewing have taken over, given new life by increasing interconnectedness of the internet and the infinite shareability of social media. On the back of this electronically-elevated word of mouth, small-batch artisans of cocktails and craft have been able to carve out their own markets and achieve international notoriety.
Within Costa Rica, the same has occurred. A nation traditionally dominated by the two big beer brands -- Imperial and Pilsen -- and guaro, the local sugar cane-based spirit, the past decade has seen the rise of independent, artisan drink makers. For example, local craft brewers like our neighbors at Potrero Brewing Company, winemakers with fruits like Jabuticaba, and cocktail artisans like those at Ponciana, Mil948, Bebedero and more.
We were able to enjoy some of these creative Costa Rican cocktails at Guanacaste Nights, when we welcomed one of the country’s ace mixologists, Bebedero’s Liz Furlong, to town. Bringing a creative streak to go with her expertise, she shared a pair of cocktails that brought the flavors Costa Rican vegetables and fruits to the forefront.
It’s in this vein that you can expect to enjoy tomorrow’s session on The Costa Rican Cocktail, as we take a page from the books of Chefs Briceño and Umaña’s and focus on the vibrant flavors made possible by Costa Rica’s natural world. Local varietals of classic herbs, combined with wildflowers, fruits, and vegetables from the ecosystems of Costa Rica will add color and an interesting twist to the classics. See you there.