Coyol wine is a traditional drink of Guanacaste but has been prepared since ancient times. Learn more about this tradition.

Coyol wine is a very popular drink in the Guanacaste region and has been prepared since pre-colonial times.

Why is Coyol wine so popular?

Coyol wine actually has a low alcoholic content. It is a fairly inexpensive drink and handcrafted by the Guanacastecos. This makes it an essential part of the folklore of the Guanacastecas plains.

Depending on its consistency, the wine can be pleasant, sweet, light and coconut water flavored, or it can be left to ferment and become sweet, thick and intoxicating.

In fact, this drink is known to have a very intense intoxicating effect which, according to some, is intensified in the heat of the sun.

Indeed, this drink is known to have a very intense intoxicating effect which, according to some, is intensified in the heat of the sun. This is why, in order to avoid this unpleasant sensation, it should be drunk with caution.

How is Coyol wine prepared?

Coyol wine actually has a low alcoholic content. It is a fairly inexpensive drink and handcrafted by the Guanacastecos. This makes it an essential part of the folklore of the north.
Source: buenprovecho.bn

It is prepared during the summer season and the process can take a week or more, depending on the desired consistency.

Actually, the drink is obtained from the sap extracted from the Coyol palm tree (Acronomia vinifera), which is a plant that grows a lot in the pastures and plains of Guanacaste.

The palm tree is cut from the ground, the leaves are removed and it is laid down with a slight inclination. Then, at the top, an opening is made that reaches the heart of the stem.

Then, the opening is covered with the husks of the same palm tree and left to rest. As we said before, depending on how you want its consistency, the sage is harvested a day after the opening or later.

According to tradition, the sage is harvested by means of jicaro (calabash tree) spoons and placed in glass bottles for fermentation.

For the Guanacastecos, La Coyolera is the place where the extraction of the coyol takes place. Here many gather not only to work in the production of wine, but also to celebrate the festivities with marimbas and guitars.

When you consume Coyol wine, you are not only consuming a simple beverage, you are consuming a product loaded with culture and history that is very important for the people of Guanacaste.

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