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THE BEERS OF CENTRAL AMERICA

As a traveler through Central America over the past few years, I have spent a lot of my time drinking beer all over the place. If you are reading this and know me, you are probably nodding your head in agreement. 

As you cross each border, the selection will change. What was widely available a few kilometers over a border, will no longer exist at all, and likely never again as you continue down. 

I figured, it's both fun and helpful to have a guide of the many different beers that you can find in Latin America. — Which ones you can find where, what they are like, and how they stack up to one another. So here is my guide to the national beer offerings in Central America. 

The price of a beer in Central America should be $1-2 from a bar, and from the store $1 or less. If you are paying more you are either in Costa Rica, or the price is too high. 

mexico

Mexico is the largest country and as a result, has the widest variety of beer selection. What you will see and where depends heavily on where you are in the country, as some beers produced in the North will be more common there, some produced in the South will be more common there and so on and so forth.  Not in any particular order. 

Little Tips:
- Ballena - this is the word for the 940ml or pretty much liter-sized Pacificos. Say this to someone and they will immediately respect your Mexican beer knowledge. — Specifically Pacifico. 
- Caguama - the name for the glass liters of beer. This is general to all beers, whereas 'Ballena' is specific to the Pacific. 

1. Victoria

  • A slightly heavier than a light beer option.

  • ​Served in a dark bottle. Delicious with a lime. 

  • Found mainly in central and southern Mexico as it's brewed there, but available all over. 

  • ​Ranking: 4/5. Good for almost all occasions, but not the best for all day drinking. Slightly heavy.

2. Corona

  • Needs no introduction. All over the world. The only beer found everywhere in Latin America.

  • Only acceptable with a lime, and out of the bottle. Canned Corona is trash. 

  • ​Ranking: 3/5. Inherently not a good beer, but marketed to make my brain think it's required on a beach. 

9. dos equis

  • Globally popular light beer option.

  • ​Served in a dark bottle. Good with a lime. 

  • Found all over. It's an international option. 

  • ​Ranking: 2/5. I think Dos Equis is trash. 

3. pacifico

  • The best beer in Mexico. Slightly heavier than a light beer.

  • ​Served in a dark bottle. Delicious with a lime. 

  • Mainly in Central and Southern Mexico. Brewed and born in Mazatlán. 

  • ​Ranking: 5/5. Mexico's best offering when it comes to beer. An all-day drinker, and a 'have one with dinner' option. Versatile and delicious. 

4. Modelo Esp

  • One of the most popular beers in the world. Should need no introduction.

  • ​Served in a clear bottle. The famous gold adorned neck, great with a lime. 

  • Comes from Mexico City, but is available everywhere. 

  • ​Ranking: 4/5. An easy drinker, good all the time. I far prefer it in a bottle as compared to the can. 

5. Modelo Negro

  • The dark sibling to Modelo Especial. I personally don't go for Modelo Negro, but it is pretty easy to find.

  • ​Served in a dark bottle.  

  • Found all over the country

  • ​Ranking: 3/5. Heavy, so for me it's not my first option in the nearly always warm Mexico. 

6. Tecate

  • A light and a lighter option. One of Mexico's cheapest, — probably worst.

  • ​Typically found in cans. It's your shitty, 'drink 10 and feel no different' beer. Light is in the blue can, dark is in the red can. 

  • Most popular in Baja California. It's brewed there, and I found it everywhere in Baja. 

  • ​Ranking: 3/5. — Not a good beer, but good for drinking 20. 

7. bohemia

  • A less common but good option. It's a pilsner, so something different from the typical Mexican lager. ​

  • Found mainly in Central and Northern mainland Mexico as it's brewed up in Monterrey, but available all over. 

  • ​Ranking: 4/5. I like pilsners, so for me I love a Bohemia. 

8. sol

  • A very light option. It's not that common, but you will see it sometimes on the menu. 

  • ​Clear bottle. Best with lime. — Usually the cheapest thing on the menu.  

  • Kind of found all over. Heineken owns it, so it's internationally available. 

  • ​Ranking: 2/5. I will almost always get something else. 

10. INDIO

  • Rare option, but depending on where you are it may be prevalent. A good amber option.

  • ​Served in a dark bottle. — Pretty cheap as well. 

  • Central and Northern Mexico. Brewed in Monterrey. 

  • ​Ranking: 3.5/5. I don't love ambers, but if it's your thing, it's good. 

12. estrella

  • A pretty good beer that some people absolutely love. 

  • You won't find it all over Mexico — mainly in Jalisco (Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta) where it is brewed. 

  • Best with a lime. 

  • ​Ranking: 4/5. A really good beer. If it's around, I usually order one. 

11. Carta blanca

  • A super-cheap — probably the cheapest in Mexico, light option.

  • Very light option. It's not all that common, but it's most common in liquor stores rather than at bars. 

  • Not really that prevalent, but it will randomly show up 

  • ​Ranking: 3/5. Not very good, but it's very cheap. 

belize

A much smaller country, and as a result there are only a few options for beer here in Belize. But I really, really like Belizean beer. It's some of the first beer I ever drank with my dad on a trip there when I was 16, so it has a special little spot in my heart. 

One thing to note, is if you notice yourself drinking these fast, just be aware that they are produced with really thick, heavy glass bottles and the actual content of liquid in the bottles is much lower than normal. A little trick. 

1. belikin

  • Undisputed king of beer in Belize. When you think of Belizean beer, it is Belikin that immediately comes to mind. 

  • ​Served in a dark bottle. 284ml, as compared to a normal 350. 

  • Found everywhere. 

  • ​Ranking: 5/5. Best beer in the country, good for anything. 

2. guinness

  • The famous Irish stout. — Might sound odd to be on this list, but it's one of the most popular beers in Belize.  

  • Needs no introduction. 

  • Found all over, one of the biggest non-Dublin Guinness Factories is in Belize. Typically in the bottle here though. 

  • ​Ranking: 4/5. Not the same as in Ireland. 

3. lighthouse

  • Cheap light beer alternative to Belikin. 

  • Basic and light. 

  • Won't really be all that available. Belikin is the king, and the only thing you need here. 

  • ​Ranking: 3/5. Not worth switching from Belikin, but you may save money. 

guatemala

The beer options in Guatemala are good. But your options aren't necessarily huge. This is the story with much of the rest of Central America. A few beers to rule them all. 

1. gallo

  • The Guatemalan beer. It mean rooster and you will see it everywhere. 

  • ​Served in a dark bottle, but it's light. 

  • Found everywhere. 

  • ​Ranking: 4/5. Good beer, but not my favorite in Central. You will drink a lot of this in Guate.

2. cabro

  • The other popular option in Guate. It's a lot darker. 

  • ​Served in a dark bottle. Dark beer.  

  • Found pretty much everywhere. 

  • ​Ranking: 3/5. I didn't love it. Never really got it unless I had no other option.

honduras

Honduras has one of my favorite beers in all of Central America, which also has the most clever name, — the 'Salva Vida'. Which translates directly to the life saver. I love it. 

There's similarly not many options here, but the main option is amazing. 

1. salva vida

  • Salva Vida, or simply Salva for short is the king of beers in Honduras. 

  • Light and refreshing. Good for almost every occasion.  

  • Found everywhere in the country.

  • ​Ranking: 5/5. Best beer in the country, one of my favorites in Latin America. 

2. imperial

  • Certainly the clear #2 beer in Honduras. There are people who swear by this, and refuse to drink Salvas. I am not one of those people.

  • ​A little bit heavier and darker than the light Salva. It's a great beer though. 

  • Found pretty much everywhere. 

  • ​Ranking: 4/5. Darker and heavier if you like that. Backup to Salva for me.  

3. dorada ice

  • Bottom of the barrel, and extremely cheap.

  • Mainly will be found in a can.  

  • Found in a lot of markets, but this beer is trash. 

  • ​Ranking: 1/5. Horrible beer, but good for cheap 'volume drinking' if that's what you are doing. 

el salvador

A great few options when it comes to the national beer offerings. 

1. pilsener

  • The most common and popular beer in El Salvador. What I spent most of my time drinking. Odd name, — a beer named after a type of beer. 

  • A really good and easy drinking beer. 

  • Found everywhere. 

  • ​Ranking: 4/5. Best national beer for me in El Sal. 

2. golden

  • Relatively shitty alternative to Pilsener. 

  • ​Very light option, I only got this when there was no Pilsener available.

  • Found everywhere pretty much. 

  • ​Ranking: 2.5/5. Not very good. 

3. barena

  • Extremely light and cheap option. I never really touched it, but it's the cheapest beer you can buy. 

  • Very clear bottle, very yellow color. Bottom of the barrel.  

  • Found in most places. 

  • ​Ranking: 2/5. Piss water, but cheap piss water.  

nicaragua

The king has finally arrived. Nicaragua only has 2 real options for beer. The Toña, and La Victoria. But the Toña is the greatest beer in all of Central America. It's an amazing refreshing beer that works at any time of the day, and it also has a great name to add to that. The best national beers of any country in Central here. La Victoria is also really good. 

1. Toña

  • The king of beers in Nicaragua. Tona will be at every store and every bar. I would say it's the best in Latin America as well.  

  • Light and refreshing. Good for almost every occasion.  

  • Found everywhere in the country.

  • ​Ranking: 5/5. Best beer in the country, the best in Latin America. 

2. La victoria

  • La Victoria or simply referred to as 'Victoria' is the 2nd most popular beer in Nica, but far behind Toña. 

  • Slightly darker and heavier than Toña.  

  • Only 2 options in the country, so it's pretty much everywhere. 

  • ​Ranking: 3.5/5. Solid number 2. If there's no Toña — which is rare, you can come to the Vicky. 

costa rica

Costa Rica, given it's the most traveled to country in Central America (not including Mexico) probably has one of the most well-known national beers, 'the Imperial'. There are signs all over the country with this beer highlighted, and you can't escape it. But for me the beer is just okay. I found in general, Costa Rica beer was just fine, kind of like the travel scene there. Popular but just fine. 

1. imperial

  • The most popular and well-known beer in Costa Rica. It's just fine for me.  

  • Light and easy to drink. Served in a dark bottle  

  • Found everywhere in the country.

  • ​Ranking: 3.5/5. It's popular but it's not my favorite beer in Costa Rica.

2. pilsen

  • Not to be confused with 'Pilsener' from El Sal, but equally as weird a name. 

  • Light and refreshing. For me, much better than Imperial.  

  • Found almost everywhere in the country.

  • ​Ranking: 4.5/5. Better than Imperial. I almost always chose this over. 

3. bavaria

  • Much less popular beer, but a National nonetheless. 

  • Light and dark options of Bavaria. 

  • Won't be that easy to find as compared to the others. . . 

  • ​Ranking: 3/5. Didn't drink it really ever. So for me it's forgettable. 

panama

I've spent the most time in Panama, so I have probably drunk more beers in Panama than any other country. There are 2 really popular beers here, so there's not a distinguished king, but the two popular ones are different. Most people prefer the Balboa, I would say that's the best and most popular. But the beers in Panama are good and exactly what you want. 

1. balboa

  • Probably the most popular beer in the country. Named after the conquistador, and also the country's currency.  

  • A little on the darker side, just above a light beer but still good for every occasion.   

  • Found everywhere in the country.

  • ​Ranking: 4.5/5. I love Balboa, — a great beer. 

2. panama

  • Named after the country. It's the country's popular light beer.  

  • Light and refreshing. Not really very good though. Some guys will give you shit for drinking this instead of Balboa. 

  • Found everywhere in the country.

  • ​Ranking: 3/5. Cheaper compared to Balboa by a small margin, but worse. 

3. atlas gold

  • The cheap light beer. This is what all the locals who like to put one on, drink all the time.  

  • Light but bad cheap — not worth it. 

  • Found almost everywhere in the country. The cheap option.

  • ​Ranking: 2/5. Just not good. But if you want to save money this is your option. 

3. suprema

  • Kind of random 3rd option. A light beer I never really tried.  

  • Has a Modelo-like foil wrapping around the neck. Faking fancy. 

  • Relatively rarely found, give it a try if you find it.  

  • ​Ranking: 3/5. Didn't like it all that much.

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