To start off the day most Guatemalans drink a cup of weak coffee , which is usually loaded with sugar. It's becoming much easier to get a decent cup in tourist-oriented towns, but you're much more likely to be served brown-coloured slops rather than anything resembling the real thing. Through the day locals drink water or refresco , a thirst-quenching water-based drink with some fruit flavour added. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Sprite or Fanta (all called aguas ) are also common and popular. For a healthy treat, order a licuado : a thick, fruit-based drink with either water or milk (milk is safer). Bottled water ( agua mineral or agua pura ) is available almost everywhere.

Guatemalan beer tends to be bland and unexciting and is very rarely available on tap. Woefully, one characterless brew has a near monopoly - the ubiquitous Gallo - a medium-strength lager-style beer that comes in 33cl or litre bottles (around US$1 and US$2 respectively in a bar; much less in a supermarket). More interesting but not as widespread is Moza, a dark brew with a slight caramel flavour. The best of the lagers is the premium beer Montecarlo, which is worth the extra quetzal or two when you can get it. You'll also come across Dorada Draft, another dull lager brew, and occasionally Cabro, which has a little more flavour. Imported brands are very rare.

As for spirits , rum ( ron ) and aguardiente , a clear and lethal sugarcane spirit, are very popular and correspondingly cheap. Ron Botran Añejo is a good rum (around $4 a bottle), while hard drinkers will soon get to know Quezalteca, a local aguardiente sold and drunk everywhere, whose power is at the heart of many a fiesta.

Guatemalan wine does exist but it bears little resemblance to the real thing. Chilean wines are the best value, with decent bottles available from around US$5 in supermarkets and double that in restaurants.