Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Anyone been to Costa Rica?  (Read 3840 times)

Offline gmac

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2165
  • London, Ontario
Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« on: February 16, 2011, 03:27:17 pm »
Headed there next week, are there any good beers that I should make sure to try?  Not a beer destination but hey, if I'm there I should try the local brews right?

Offline oscarvan

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1707
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2011, 03:45:44 pm »
Been there......Stay away from the Blue Marlin (San José) , unless you're single and brave. Many of my colleagues make a bee line for the place as soon as they hit the ground, I would need a note from my wife for that  :o . Generally speaking the country is pretty Gringo friendly, but the usual South of Miami precautions DO apply.

As far as beer......read here:

http://www99.epinions.com/content_4616921220
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline rossmartin24

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 6
    • Beer Logger
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2011, 03:54:12 pm »
I went to Costa Rica for Christmas and I had a great time.  As far as beer goes I have some good news and some bad news. 
Bad news first:  The Beer choices are pretty bad.
Good news:  the Beer is cheap!

I had Imperial, Pilsen, Tona (with a tilda over the n) and Bavaria Negra when I was down there.  Imperial, Tona and Pilsen tasted like Budweiser or MGD or something along those lines.  The Bavaria by comparison was delicious, but still not great.  Let me tell you though it didn't keep me from drinking plenty!

The beers at the hotel were very cheap, maybe a dollar or two per, and when we went in to town I bought a 14 pack of Tona for $4.00 at a grocery store.

Are you staying in San Jose or going some where else?

Offline pinnah

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1323
  • Wesloper, CO
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2011, 04:01:04 pm »
Awesome!! 

Good news:  the Beer is cheap!

 ;), just take some of those little lime flavored salt shakers with you.  Yella beer+salt+middle america=win.

Have a blast.

Offline gmac

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2165
  • London, Ontario
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2011, 05:34:56 pm »

Are you staying in San Jose or going some where else?

Guanacaste area.  Taking my wife for her 40th so no Blue Marlin trips either.  Plan to spend 2 days drinking beer and sitting by the pool, then I'm going to go find some fish.  Mrs has a zipline/jungle hike/horseback riding/volcano thing planned for one day in which I believe she is trying to kill me...

I'll keep an eye peeled for Bavaria Negro...  Thanks.

Offline gmac

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2165
  • London, Ontario
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2011, 05:36:31 pm »
the usual South of Miami precautions DO apply.

Please elaborate.  I've barely been South of Erie.

Offline theoman

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 640
  • Outskirts of Brussels, Belgium
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2011, 02:56:11 am »
I understand there are 2 recently opened craft breweries there. Read through Joe's blog: http://www.thirstypilgrim.com/

I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you contacted him directly.

Offline richardt

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1227
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2011, 06:53:08 am »
CR is a beautiful country.  Lots of hills, ravines, switchbacks, elevation changes, etc.  And the roads aren't the best or well-identified.  If you're renting a car--you must have one with GPS.  You'd be lost without it. 

Don't knock the wife's plans.  We took the family 2 years ago to Mt Arenal and did the whole cloud forest canopy zipline, hiking, ATV riding through palm oil plantations, tropical plants/orchids/butterfly gardens, touring vanilla plantations, white-water rafting (which, unlike Colorado's freezing waters, is body-temp warm, and has the occasional crocodile keeping you feeling very alive when you're trying to get back in the raft), watching active lava flows at night, visiting coffee plantations, etc. 

Very friendly place.  Stay away from the tourist places to eat/drink.  They'll charge outrageous prices, but the rest of the country is cheap.  You'll love the little "Sodas" along the roadside--little mom and pop cantinas serving the chicken, black beans and rice national dish.

Offline rossmartin24

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 6
    • Beer Logger
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2011, 09:43:17 am »
I understand there are 2 recently opened craft breweries there.

That is fantastic!  The next time I go back I'll find one of them.  Costa Rica has a lot of Americans, Canadians and Germans moving and vacationing there so I would not be surprised to see a lot of brewpubs and craft breweries open up.  Incidentally, I did happen to notice that real estate was not very expensive either... hmmmm.....

Offline rossmartin24

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 6
    • Beer Logger
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2011, 09:49:32 am »
Very friendly place.  Stay away from the tourist places to eat/drink.  They'll charge outrageous prices, but the rest of the country is cheap.  You'll love the little "Sodas" along the roadside--little mom and pop cantinas serving the chicken, black beans and rice national dish.

This is really good advice.  The Costa Rican people are very friendly, warm folks.  And if you pay more, you don't necessarily get better quality for the food.  The black beans and rice dish (Gallo Pinto) is served at every meal, and it's very good, especially for breakfast with eggs.  You'll see a bottle of Lizano Salsa on every table, it's a mild to medium sauce that has a hint of cumin or curry or something.  Anyway, it's very good and they put it on everything. 

Offline oscarvan

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1707
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2011, 08:16:19 pm »
the usual South of Miami precautions DO apply.

Please elaborate.  I've barely been South of Erie.

Don't look like an easy target. Keep your money/wallet in a hard to reach place, and divvy the money up between a few pockets. Do not wear jewelry, watches etc. Do not flash purses, cameras or other electronic equipment. Stay in areas where there's a "plan B". Do not take local taxi's, let hotel bellmen arrange for those. Do not trust the cops. They are on a commission basis, if you get my drift. After dark be even more careful.

It is not a dangerous country per se, but there are people that target you, and you are easily singled out. Make their job hard. Be vigilant AT ALL TIMES.

Those of my friends that moved around freely and had a great time looked like total bums doing it.

 
« Last Edit: February 18, 2011, 08:19:29 pm by oscarvan »
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline gmac

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2165
  • London, Ontario
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2011, 10:48:55 pm »
Thanks Oscarvan.  Really appreciate it.  First time my wife and I have travelled and one of the reasons I chose Costa Rica was the lower crime rate compared to other Central/South American countries.  We'll do our best to look our worst. 

I think for the most part we'll be around the resort but I absolutely must fish (it's a bit of an obsession) so I'll probably be wondering the beach at least a bit so I'll keep an eye open, and I won' t have too many Costa Rican beers until I'm safely back in my room...

Graham

Offline oscarvan

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1707
Re: Anyone been to Costa Rica?
« Reply #12 on: February 19, 2011, 08:22:35 am »
Sounds like a plan. See if you can take someone with you fishing.
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....