This post was originally published on July 6, 2016.
M and I’s trip to Guatemala is still vivid in my mind. We stayed in Panajachel for the majority of our trip, with a short two night stay outside of San Marcos. Panajachel, known by the locals as Pana, is a fun town located on the edge of Lake Atitlan. Our friend Conner lives there, so we had the perfect excuse to take a vacation down to Central America… In Pana, there is a mixing pot of cultures between the Mayas, Guatemalans, and expats from all over the world, which makes for meaningful interactions and even more meaningful late nights…
Our friend’s go-to spot in Panajachel is called La Palapa. They are known for their cheap drinks, delicious burgers, and good vibes atmosphere– along with cool straw roofs for infrastructure and sand on the ground to emulate a beach. En Español, La Palapa “is an open-sided dwelling with a thatched roof made of dried palm leaves” and is perfect for hanging out when the weather is hot– or rainy– like it can be in Pana. We were pretty much at La Palapa every day in Panajachel, due to those cheap drinks and 5Q tequila shots (a little less than a U.S. dollar). One day, I decided to get classy and order an expensive drink.. AKA a Michelada. Of course, “expensive” drinks in Guatemala are under $5 USD, so quite acceptable. The Michelada was HUGE! I ordered one made with Brahva Extra (a beer brewed in Teculutan, Guatemala) and it was served to me in a giant glass mug and rimmed with salty goodness and a lime wedge. Micheladas are classically made with beer, tomato juice or a Clamato variation, lemon or lime juice, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and ice– quite similar to the ingredients you find in a Bloody Mary.
As this is a Bloody Mary website, I have my usual rating scale for every Bloody Mary I review. This task is not as easy for me with a Michelada because a.) I am not a Michelada expert.. I just really freakin’ like them!; and b.) I can’t use my usual rating scale because it really isn’t applicable to Micheladas. That being said, La Palapa’s Michelada was refreshing and hydrating (*disclaimer: alcohol really is never hydrating 😉 ), of a light texture that went down easily, and a truly delicious combination of pepper, salt, hot sauce, and some other spices. I highly recommend you stop by La Palapa if you are ever in Panajachel, Guatemala. A giant Michelada and a delicious burger are sure to please your taste buds– whether it be beautiful and sunny or chilly and rainy! Nothing warms you up like a spicy drink full of beer, hot sauce, and sass.
Read more about La Palapa here. La Palapa is located on Calle Principal in Panajachel, Solola, Guatemala.