Cacique Guaro facts for kids
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| Type | Guaro |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Fábrica Nacional de Licores |
| Distributor | FANAL |
| Country of origin | Costa Rica |
| Introduced | 1853 |
| Alcohol by volume | 30% |
| Proof (US) | 60 |
| Colour | Clear |
Cacique Guaro is a special type of guaro made by a company called Fábrica Nacional de Licores, often shortened to "FANAL". This drink is made from sugar cane and is very pure. It's the most popular bottled drink in Costa Rica. People often call it "Costa Rican liqueur." It has a neutral taste, so it can be enjoyed on its own or mixed with other drinks.
Contents
History of Cacique Guaro
The National Liquor Factory started making this drink way back in 1853. For a long time, they sold it in big barrels to shops and bars. Customers would bring their own containers to fill up. Back then, the drink had an alcohol content of 35 degrees.
In August 1980, FANAL started selling the drink in one-liter glass bottles. They called it Guaro Cacique. This new version had a lower alcohol content of 30 degrees. Today, you can also find Cacique Guaro in smaller 750 ml glass bottles and even 365 ml plastic bottles.
FANAL makes its own special alcohol for their drinks. They also produce two main types of guaro: Guaro Cacique, which has a red label, and Cacique Superior, which has a black label. Cacique Superior has a slightly higher alcohol content of 35 degrees. It's made even purer by filtering it through activated carbon, which makes its smell even better.
Why is it called Cacique?
The word "guaro" is used in Central America for a traditional alcohol made from sugar cane. The word cacique means the leader of a tribe or chief. The name "Cacique Guaro" was also inspired by an important discovery. Between 1977 and 1980, the National Museum found a very large ancient village on the land where FANAL's factory is now located in Grecia. This was the biggest old settlement found in that area.
People sometimes call the drink "cuatro plumas," which means "four feathers." This is because the picture of the cacique (chief) on the bottle's label wears four feathers.
How Cacique Guaro is Made
The process starts with a special kind of alcohol that FANAL gets from sugar mills, mostly from the Guanacaste area. This alcohol goes into a special area where it is cleaned and purified using tall columns. After it's purified, the alcohol is moved to a storage area.
Bottling the Drink
Once the drink is ready, it goes through a few steps to be put into bottles:
- Machines fill the bottles with the drink.
- Another machine puts caps on the bottles.
- A different machine sticks the labels onto the bottles.
- Finally, a machine places the glass or plastic bottles into plastic crates or cardboard boxes. These are then sent to the storage and shipping area.
Storing and Shipping
The finished bottles are kept in large warehouses. There are two main ones: the "Liquor Fine Winery" and the "Common Spirits Cellar." From these warehouses, the drinks are loaded onto trucks, either belonging to customers or FANAL's own trucks, to be delivered to shops and sellers.
Types of Cacique Guaro
- Cacique Guaro (comes with a red label, in 365 ml bottles, which are sometimes called "pacha," and also in 750 ml and 1000 ml bottles)
- Superior Cacique Guaro (comes with a black label, in 365 ml and 750 ml bottles only)
- Roncolorado (comes with a yellow label, in 365 ml and 1000 ml bottles)
Images for kids
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A glass of Guaro sour, a popular drink made with Guaro.
See also
In Spanish: Cacique (guaro) para niños
