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Uncover the most well-liked Guatemalan drinks (and the place to search out them) on this information to the nation’s greatest alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks!
Whereas Guatemala is legendary for its breathtaking pure wonders like Tikal’s pyramids, fiery volcanoes and crater lakes, its wealthy cultural tapestry extends to its conventional meals and drinks.
Over the previous 30 years, my Guatemala-born husband and I’ve loved exploring the nation’s foods and drinks scene.
Whether or not wandering via bustling highland markets or visiting Garifuna communities on the Caribbean coast close to Belize, there are distinctive drinks to find at each flip.
It’s fascinating how Guatemala’s consuming tradition blends custom, celebration and seasonally-inspired flavours.
Be part of us on a spirited journey via Guatemala’s must-try drinks.
Not solely are they the most effective conventional drinks to strive in Guatemala, however they’re a wonderful approach to absorb some native tradition alongside the way in which.
1. Atoles ( Atole Blanco and Atole de Elote)
Start your style journey with a mug of atole de elote, a creamy corn-based beverage, usually loved at breakfast. Its velvety texture make it a comforting (and nutritious) strategy to begin the day.
Atol de elote‘s easy candy flavour additionally enhances spicy meals. So it’s usually loved within the night with avenue meals.
Atole blanco (made with plain maize) is a well-liked variation. It comes plain or with salt or candy sprinkled with cinnamon. It’s all the time served heat.
🌟Attempt It: Pattern genuine atole throughout a avenue meals tour with Cuscun, a culinary tour firm primarily based in La Antigua. They provide market excursions, cooking courses and avenue meals excursions each at night time and through the daytime.
2. Cacao (Scorching Chocolate and Cocoa)
Guatemala is famend for its cacao manufacturing. Thought-about to be a drink of the gods, it has an extended historical past within the Mayan world.
Sampling a some ceremonial cacao is a prime factor to do on any trip in Guatemala. Wealthy, easy, and typically spiced with cinnamon or cardamom, this conventional drink supplies an genuine style of the nation’s chocolate heritage.
Order a mug of Guatemalan chocolate made with water (or milk) at most espresso retailers. You may select to have it served sweetened or unsweetened. Keep in mind that with out sugar it’s fairly bitter!
Not like different cacao-producing areas reminiscent of Oaxaca and Grenada, the place sizzling chocolate is whisked with a particular device (reminiscent of a molinillo) to make it frothy, Guatemalan sizzling chocolate is usually served flat.
That makes it preferrred to take pleasure in with a champurrada, the biscotti-type Guatemalan sesame seed cookie made for dunking.
🌟 Attempt It: Among the best locations be taught extra about this typical Guatemalan beverage is in a hands-on Chocolate Workshop in Antigua.
Throughout this 2-hour class you’ll find out about cacao manufacturing from bean to bar, make your personal goodies and pattern a number of cacao-based drinks.
Test costs and availability of a Chocolate Workshop on Viator.com
3. Chicha (Fermented Fruit Refreshment)
One other distinctive Guatemala drink is chicha, a fermented beverage produced from maize in addition to different substances reminiscent of cinnamon, sweeteners reminiscent of panela and fruit reminiscent of pineapple, nance and jocotes.
Considerably akin to kombucha, this Guatemalan drink is each effervescent and mildly tangy. Not solely is it refreshing however it accommodates pure probiotics as a result of fermentation.
In each El Salvador and Guatemala chicha is commonly utilized in conventional dishes reminiscent of gallo (rooster) in chicha because the fermented juice has a tenderizing impact.
4. Chilate
A favorite non-alcoholic drink for Día de Todos Los Santos (or All Saints Day) on November 1st, a celebration just like Day of the Lifeless in Mexico, chilate is of prehispanic origin.
It’s made with toasted and peeled rice, cacao and spices shaped right into a paste and reconstituted.
This beverage is each energizing and nutritious, and straightforward to serve to a crowd, all qualities shared by conventional drinks served throughout Guatemalan festivals, holidays and particular events.
5. Espresso Chapín (Guatemalan Espresso)
Though prompt espresso reminiscent of Nescafé is the drink of alternative in lots of Guatemalan households, a must-try drink in Guatemala is a steaming mug of the nation’s fresh-brewed espresso.
Well-known all through the world for its high-quality Arabica espresso beans, Guatemalan espresso’s distinct flavour is the results of the mixture of altitude, soil, and local weather circumstances within the nation’s totally different coffee-growing areas.
To expertise the variety of those flavour profiles, one of many prime issues to do in Guatemala is to take a tour of a espresso plantation and revel in a tutoured tasting.
Or for extra leisurely analysis, spend time exploring the cafes in la Antigua’s historic centre.
The volcanic soil and excessive altitude of the areas in Antigua, Huehuetenango, Cobán and the highlands round Lake Atitlan produce coffees with mild to full physique, shiny acidity, and floral or fruity notes.
A mug of premium espresso is a must-try Guatemalan sizzling beverage!
🌟Attempt It: Fernando’s Kaffee in La Antigua is legendary for its shade-grown Guatemalan espresso and artisanal chocolate. Their sizzling chocolate is made with cocoa and grated cacao and delivers the last word in chocolate flavour.
6. Cusha
A lesser-known drink on the planet of Guatemalan drinks, cusha is a fermented spirit produced from distilled maize.
Akin to moonshine, it’s brewed illegally and made under-the-table so not the best to search out. It’s additionally very potent.
So it’s usually combined right into a fruity cocktail or served with lemon lime soda to make it extra palatable.
7. Gallo Beer
Questioning about Guatemala’s nationwide drink? Many individuals, (ourselves included) think about it to be Gallo beer!
Gallo, the nation’s hottest beer and Guatemala’s self-proclaimed nationwide beer, is a light-weight, crisp lager that enhances the nation’s sometimes heavy conventional meals.
A relaxing Gallo is welcome within the nation’s heat local weather particularly within the sweltering coastal areas of the Pacific coast and lowlands of Zacapa.
You may determine Gallo by the cheerful brand of a rooster on each the cans and enormous brown bottles.
Different native beers to strive in Guatemala embrace Cabro, depicted with a leaping goat brand.
8. Cerveza Artesanal (Craft Beer )
To modify issues up from the same old pale lagers, head to a cantina in Antigua or a brewpub in Guatemala Metropolis the place you possibly can pattern craft beer on faucet.
The Londoner, a British fashion pub serves a number of craft beers produced by the native artisanal brewery Cerveceria 14 in addition to Gallo draft beer.
Observe it up with a flight of small-batch ales on the Antigua Brewing Firm’s brewpub close to the Central Plaza in Antigua (Google Map).
When you’re in search of craft beer in Guatemala Metropolis, head to hip and taking place 4 Grados Norte, our favorite neighbourhood to spend a day or night.
There are fairly a couple of brewpubs to select from on this pedestrian-friendly district however el Principe Gris Cerveceria (Google Map) has essentially the most atmospheric setting.
Sip an IPA or a Dunkel lager at one of many biergarten’s tables overlooking a leafy courtyard the place hummingbirds flit about.
9. Horchata
A chilly rice-based drink discovered all through Central America, horchata is a refreshing non-alcoholic Guatemalan drink.
Horchata has its roots in Spain (the place it’s made with floor tiger nuts) and is very well-liked throughout Las Fallas pageant of Valencia.
In Guatemala it’s made with long-grained rice combined with cinnamon. It’s usually served with a cinnamon stick for stirring it.
You may simply discover horchata served in native markets. Together with agua de avena, it’s one among Guatemala’s hottest conventional non-alcoholic drinks.
10. Licuados (Fruit Drinks/Smoothies)
Well-liked all through Latin America, licuados are smoothies made with milk, recent fruit and ice. They’re velvety, nutritious and scrumptious usually seasonally impressed.
These non-alcoholic Guatemalan fruit drinks are usually loved through the daytime.
Some distinctive flavours effectively value attempting embrace the sweet-tart licuado de mora (blackberry), platano, avena and fresa (plantain, oatmeal and strawberry) and jocote mariñon (cashew apple).
11. Limonada (Contemporary Limeade)
This refreshing Guatemalan beverage is one other well-liked non-alcoholic drink to take pleasure in with conventional meals.
It comes made with both plain (purified) water or agua mineral (mineral water) or soda. It’s usually sweetened with cane sugar or honey.
As a result of limonada con soda is a glowing beverage, it’s particularly well-liked with spicy dishes.
12. Michelada Chapina
A Guatemalan twist on the basic Mexican Michelada, this beer and tomato juice cocktail consists of lime, sizzling sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
The glass is rimmed with Tajín or a mixture of chile cobanero and salt. Shrimp, lime or cucumber (or all three!) are well-liked garnishes.
This Guatemalan drink is a zesty alternative for these looking for a little bit of spice.
13. Piconas or Picositas (Spicy Beers)
One of the distinctive drinks to strive in Guatemala are picositas. Stated to have been invented at Hugo’s Ceviches Restaurant in Antigua round 1993, this enjoyable however oh-so-messy concoction is mainly shrimp ceviche meets Michelada in a beer can.
And surprisingly it really works! And is scrumptious!
The method begins with a can of beer, often Gallo. A small quantity of beer is poured out of the can.
Then, entire peeled shrimp are “cooked” in lime juice as if making ceviche. Then, the chef chops cilantro, crimson onion, serrano peppers (or chiltepin) till very nice.
Lastly, a small quantity of beer is poured out of the can. This makes area for sea salt, a spoonful of the cilantro/crimson onion/pepper combination, a squirt of recent lime juice, a touch of Worcestershire sauce and a few Maggi sauce.
The beer can must be overflowing by now however there’s nonetheless area to place one (or extra) of the marinated shrimp strategically into the can’s opening.
A closing flourish of lime juice and sprinkle of chile salt and it’s able to take pleasure in.
The unique strategy to serve a picosita is in a brown paper bag. That approach it absorbs the mess and condensation.
Lately, it’s not all the time typical to see the paper bag. And you may also see variations reminiscent of cucumber as an alternative of shrimp.
14. Ponche de Leche (Milk Punch)
Ponche de leche (milk punch) is one other non-alcoholic Guatemalan drink that’s simple to arrange, nutritious and ideal for serving a crowd.
It’s particularly well-liked throughout Navidad (Christmas) and truly seems to be similar to eggnog in color. However not like eggnog, Guatemalan ponche de leche accommodates no eggs! As a substitute, it will get its pale yellow color from elote (corn).
Take pleasure in it sprinkled with cinnamon or with a stick of cinnamon.
15. Rompope or Rompopo (Eggnog)
Referred to as Guatemala’s eggnog liqueur, rompopo (often known as rompope) is a candy, creamy liqueur well-liked all through Mexico and Central America.
Not like Mexico the place a number of well-known manufacturers of rompope (reminiscent of Santa Clara) are mass produced in for home use and export, in Guatemala, rompope manufacturing remains to be very a lot a cottage business.
Rompope is commonly loved throughout Navidad, the Christmas festive season that begins on the Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Satan pageant) on December seventh.
Take pleasure in rompope as a shot or pour over ice to sip slowly and savour the mix of warming spices and rum.
It’s a well-liked drink to serve throughout Las Posadas of December.
🌟Attempt It: The nation’s hub for rompope manufacturing is Salcajá, a small city within the highlands north of Quetzaltenango.
16. Refrescos de Frutas
Dive into the recent facet of Guatemalan drinks with a refresco de fruta. This fruity non-alcoholic concoction is offered in a wide range of distinctive flavours.
Made with recent fruit combined with panela (uncooked sugar cane), they’re a refreshing various to delicate drinks.
One other well-liked refresco to search for in Guatemala is tamarind. It’s produced from tamarind pods which were peeled and soaked in water.
Equally well-liked is rosa de jamaica, produced from hibiscus flowers. It’s steeped like a tea to make agua de jamaica or fresco de rosa de jamaica.
🌟Attempt It: For a style of Guatemala at dwelling, whip up this simple recipe for iced hibiscus tea.
17. Pericòn Tea
Infusions of dried fruit, herbs and crops reminiscent of flowers make well-liked sizzling drinks in Guatemala.
Whereas it’s doable to sip acquainted natural teas reminiscent of chamomile (manzanilla), mint (hierba buena), jamaica (hibiscus) and ginger (jengibre), why not strive a singular tea reminiscent of pericòn?
Manufactured from the tagetes lucida plant (wild marigold), pericòn tea is widespread all through Latin America however is very well-liked in Guatemala.
The Maya and Zapotec individuals have lengthy thought-about pericòn a medicinal plant. They worth it as an natural treatment for its purported soothing impact on the abdomen and nerves.
My Guatemalan mother-in-law usually has a pot of pericòn tea steeping on the range. Whereas she makes use of stalks and leaves harvested from her backyard, it’s additionally doable to search out pericòn tea in supermarkets.
It has a tarragon-like scent and slight anise flavour.
18. Quetzalteca
This iconic Guatemalan alcoholic beverage is a well-liked drink amongst locals.
Its candy and fruity style, coupled with its eye-catching rainbow of colors, makes it a staple at social gatherings.
Regardless of its deceptively candy flavour, Quetzalteca is a potent aguardiente and packs a punch. It accommodates 29-60% alcohol by quantity.
🌟 Attempt It: Quetzalteca is offered by bottle or on faucet. The easiest way to drink Quetzalteca is in a shot glass or combined with glowing soda water to chop the sweetness.
19. Venado (White Aged Rum)
Gallo isn’t the one well-liked Guatemalan drink with alcohol to take pleasure in at events. Venado Especial Rum is without doubt one of the nation’s hottest spirits! So positively place it in your must-try checklist of Guatemalan drinks.
This Guatemalan white rum is aged in white oak barrels for 18 months. The ageing provides a smoothness to its daring style.
At Guatemalan events, usually a bunch will place a bottle of Venado and a 2-litre bottle of Coca Cola on a desk with a bucket of ice so company can assist themselves.
With a twist of lime, rum and venado turns into a Guatemalan Cuba Libre! It’s a signature drink in Guatemala.
20. Ponche de Frutas (Vacation Fruit Punch)
Have fun the festive spirit with Guatemalan ponche de frutas or Ponche Navideño, a Christmas fruit punch loved through the vacation season.
This sizzling, fragrant beverage is made with recent fruit like pineapple, plums, pears and plantain mixed with dried fruit reminiscent of apples and raisins. It’s then simmered with spices reminiscent of cinnamon.
Usually made in huge batches and loved throughout Christmas and different particular events, ponche de frutas provides a way of heat and conviviality to get togethers.
Particularly when a served with Zacapa rum or Venado.
🌟 Attempt It: Get our household recipe for ponche de frutas. This genuine Guatemalan vacation fruit punch is bound to grow to be a household favorite of yours as effectively!
21. Ron de Zacapa (Zacapa Rum)
For these looking for a style of luxurious, Zacapa Rum (Ron Zacapa Centenario) is a world-renowned and award-winning darkish rum from Guatemala.
Crafted from sugar cane grown within the lowlands and aged in barrels within the highlands, Ron de Zacapa boasts advanced flavours that embody the nation’s numerous panorama.
Not like the Caribbean the place rum is a necessary ingredient in cocktails reminiscent of rum punch and piña coladas (the nationwide drink of Puerto Rico), Ron de Zacapa is a sipping rum.
Take pleasure in it as you’d nice cognac.
🌟 Professional Tip: You’ll want to choose up a bottle of Zacapa Rum on the Responsibility Free store at La Aurora Worldwide Airport when leaving Guatemala.
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I hope you’ve loved this whirlwind tour of must-try Guatemalan drinks. As you journey via Guatemala, remember to maintain a glance out for them!
Whether or not you’re exploring the highlands, wandering via the markets or enjoyable on the shores of Lake Atitlán, these drinks will undoubtedly improve your journey expertise, one sip at a time.
Or, if journey isn’t in your fast radar, why not strive one among our genuine Guatemalan recipes and revel in a style of Guatemala at dwelling!
Extra Guatemala Meals and Journey Ideas
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Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the closest tropical seashore), Michele Peterson is the founding father of A Style for Journey. Her award-winning journey and meals writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Supply, Nationwide Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ different publications.
Learn extra about Michele Peterson.
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