Cantina Cocktail Class with Spectacolar
Do you appreciate a well crafted cocktail? Do you like to try new types of alcohol? Do you enjoy Mexican cuisine and culture? If you're staying in La Fortuna for a few days or even just have a free night and are looking for something fun to do, this cocktail class is a must!
I joined this class becasue well... I love cocktails and tacos, so a night filled with 2 of my favorite things sounds like a must. I heard great things about Spectacolar Cantina but was excited to learn how they put their own Costa Rican twist on their Mexican cocktail menu.
It was just me and another guest named Adrian who attended but our bartender, Cesar, informed us that the class can be prepared for larger groups of people as well. We started by choosing which cocktails on the menu we wanted to learn how to build. I chose the Spicy Margarita, Guaro Sour and Caipirinha, while Adrian chose the Passionfruit Mojito, Take it Baby, and the Flu Killer - 2 moonshine drinks that I will definitely attempt to make at home.
As we made our way through the cocktail list we got to learn about the types of guaro - what they call alcohol here in Costa Rica! We learned about the 2 local guaros of Costa Rica, Cacique and Ron Centenario. My personal favorite was Cacique - a sugar cane liquor of high purity and the best selling distilled spirit in Costa Rica. I’m a tequila lover but I would happily substitute Cacique in any of my go-to cocktails. We were able to learn how to properly build the drinks as well as how to use a shaker, I never knew there are so many different techniques!
We slowly made our way through our cocktail list as we sipped slowly on all of the very different drinks that encompassed all 5 flavor profiles - sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty. After a couple strong drinks we ordered our tacos to ensure we didn’t get too buzzed before we could finish the class. I had the shrimp tacos with the rojo salsa - que rico!! The tortillas are made by hand and let me tell you, you can definitely taste the love!
Now I’m not going to share all the cool recipes I learned because I don’t want to spoil the experience, but here is my favorite one that includes Costa Rica’s home-distilled Cacique! All in all, the class was so worth it, we ate and drank far more than the price of the class and learned how to make some really unique cocktails. We left with rosy cheeks, full bellys and huge smiles on our faces. Such a fun way to spend a rainy night in La Fortuna!
Guaro Sour:
1.5 oz. Cacique
1 oz. lime juice
1 oz. simple syrup
Looking to drink something a bit more boozy - add 1.5 oz Triple Sec
If you prefer cocktails with a fruity twist - add 1.5 oz passionfruit
Shake, pour on the rocks and serve without a straw - c’mon, save the ocean amigos! Pura Vida!!
