One of the top trending items on Twitter today was one of the most long-awaited announcements of 2011. Cerveza Imperial, Costa Rica’s most iconic beer, has finally set a date for its cherished annual music fest at La Guácima speedway in Alajuela. Festival Imperial is now officially 98 days away, and music fans are already busy making requests for their dream musical lineup on Cerveza Imperial’s official Facebook page. The Foo Fighters and Radiohead seem to be leading the requests, closely followed by Coldplay and The Strokes. Other requests include Caifanes and Calle 13, while some purists essentially wish to replicate a Lollapalooza lineup with The Prodigy, The Beastie Boys and Pearl Jam.

Ticos don’t take Festival Imperial lightly. It is the biggest music event of the year, possibly outshining a visit by Metallica. On the same day ¡Es Oficial! was announced, a fan took the time to write a lengthy open letter addressed to the emblematic eagle of Imperial’s label. The passionate missive highlights the festival’s previous hits of yesteryear (Ghandi and Malpaís sharing the stage in 2006), as well as its unfortunate misses (curvy reggaetón dancers sharing the stage with a gawking Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins in 2008). The letter ends with some sound advice for Imperial: invite musical acts which will appear at a later festival in Chile in early April: Bjork, The Crystal Method, Foster the People, Gogol Bordello, and MGMT. Cerveza Imperial does not plan to make any formal announcements until January 2012.

Imperial Dominance

The eclectic and divisive Tico taste in modern rock may be difficult to satisfy, but Cerveza Imperial has been doing a pretty good job at it since its first music festival in 2006. It’s not just modern rock; Imperial has served as Costa Rica’s premier social lubricant since 1924. The pale lager has thoroughly dominated the Tico beer market since its inception, an incredible feat that few other beers -such as Guinness in Ireland and Heineken in the Netherlands- have managed to achieve. It’s not surprising that the famed Dutch brewery entrusted Florida Ice & Farm with its secret recipe; as a result Heineken is now simultaneously brewed in Amsterdam and La Ribera de Belén.

The undeniable success of Imperial can be attributed to several factors. Florida Ice & Farm claims that Imperial’s taste is simply a reflection of Tico personality: traditional, social, affable and patriotic. Imperial certainly ranks pretty high in terms of quality; it earned a gold medal in 2007’s Monde Selection in Belgium, but to the most discerning brew connoisseurs Imperial is not the alpha and omega of the beer world. The name sometimes raises eyebrows among the most demanding cognoscenti, since it is a term often reserved for brews, something that the crisp Imperial is anything but.

Keeping up Imperial’s national symbol status has not been a simple undertaking for Florida Ice. For many years, the company has consistently retained the services of the legendary advertising agency GarnierBBDO, a firm that is thoroughly familiar with Pura Vida. With more than 90 years in the market, GarnierBBDO has represented Costa Rica’s most familiar brands. It’s not just the oldest agency in Costa Rica, it’s the oldest in Latin America. The agency is responsible for Imperial’s careful and almost imperceptible changes over the decades. Garnier managed to tacitly introduce the sleek Imperial and attractive aluminum can without ruffling the feathers of purists who insist that Imperial only belongs in a reusable glass bottle. Garnier is also responsible for the poetic jingles of classic beer commercials: “as night falls, the rhythm and the streets fuse.”

A Changing Palate

Over the years, Florida Ice has come to learn that while Ticos love Imperial, their tastes in beer can be as eclectic as their tastes in music. The brewery has acquired new brands and brewed new formulas in an effort to keep beer lovers in Costa Rica happy. Pilsen is their oldest offering, dating back to 1888. Imperial now has Light and Silver sisters, and together they must battle against the Rock lineup of cold-filtered exotic offerings. Rock Golden Monkey is certainly a departure from Imperial and Pilsen: it is flavored by the Indonesian purple mangosteen fruit. Bavaria is at the refined end of the Florida Ice collection; particularly Bavaria Dark, a highly rated Schwarzbier.

Imported beers have been a thorn on Florida Ice’s side, and although they have managed to retain their customer base thanks to the strength of their brands, Ticos now have even more local choices. Microbreweries like Costa Rica’s Craft Brewing Co (CRCB) in Cartago and the Volcano Brewing Company near the touristy Arenal Lake and Volcano region. The CRCB offerings include Libertas Tropical Golden Ale and La Segua Red Ale. The red ale is pretty unique for a beer in Costa Rica, and it is named after one of the most frightening horror legends in Tico culture.

Both Libertas and La Segua are sold in bottles or on tap at select bars and restaurants across the country. Witch’s Rock Pale Ale is the Volcano Brewing Company’s flagship beer which is served on tap at the Lakeview Hotel before a breathtaking view of the Arenal. Craft beers have a great potential for capturing the Tico palate due to their natural and fresh artisan appeal.

The sweeping change in taste in Costa Rica isn’t limited to beer. Quite a few Ticos have discovered the magical world of viniculture and have come appreciate the delights of quality wines. While many Ticos joke that coffee is their wine, the embassies of Argentina, Chile and Spain have been trying to expand their respective country’s wine offerings in Costa Rica. Wine consumption is often used as a barometer of economic prosperity, and La Nación has reported that while the country was not completely spared by the global financial crisis, wine imports had reached $9 million by July of 2011. Expovino IV, the country’s premier wine expo, is expected to break attendance and trade records in 2013.