Some of the most popular and emblematic liquors made in Costa Rica are not readily available in other countries. Cerveza Imperial and Ron Centenario are not a problem in this regard; in fact, they are often sold at cheaper prices overseas. However, when it comes to Guaro Cacique and other fine products made by the government-owned National Distillery, they are hard to find outside of Costa Rica. That’s about to change.

According to Kimberly Herrera Salazar of news daily La Prensa Libre, the National Distillery (Spanish acronym: FANAL) and the National Council on Production are formulating a policy that will allow the direct exportation of liquors and spirits made in Costa Rica by the esteemed government distillery.

FANAL will be exporting its products for the first time in its 164 years of existence. The National Council on Production, a semi-autonomous entity, has been working with the government-owned FANAL on a mechanism that will allow the distillery to make its own business decisions without having to face excessive bureaucracy.

Monica Segnini, president of the Chamber of Exporters in Costa Rica, was pleased to learn about the development and commented on its timeliness:

“[…] the fact that [FANAL] will enter the export market is a good sign for the government at this time. We are just beginning to feel the impact of major foreign companies exiting our country, and we need fresh resources.”

FANAL operates as a virtual monopoly, similar to the way ICE used to control telecommunications only a few years ago. The old distillery moved from San Jose to its new location just outside of Grecia in the early 1980s. Its original liquor was a rotgut-quality firewater made from sugarcane, which was eventually refined into the smooth Guaro Cacique, which is closer to rum than firewater. Just about all cocktails with a Costa Rican provenance call for Guaro Cacique as its main ingredient, including Chili Guaro, the official drink of Guanacaste.

Being a government distillery has its advantages; international observers have praised FANAL numerous times for the quality of its liquors and spirits, and its specialty Cafe Tico coffee liqueur as well as its Magallanes, Marques and Viejo rums are highly sought-after by connoisseurs. There is no set date for FANAL exports to begin shipping, but the initial list of markets include: Canada, China, Central America, and Mexico. There is no word on why the United States has not been included on this list.