Vino de coyol

Despite its misleading name, vino de coyol is not wine but a beverage made from the fermented sap of coyol palms (Acrocomia aculeata). The juice is collected from the trunk and is then left to ferment. The process of fermentation can last for up to a week, and the final profile of the drink depends on how long the sap is left to ferment.

The freshest version is light and milky, while the most potent version is fermented the longest and results in a thicker beverage. Although coyol has a low alcohol content, it contains enzymes that cause similar effects as alcohol. Allegedly, coyol causes serious hangovers, and the urban legend says that if you spend a following day in the sun, you will feel the intoxicated all over again.

Vino de coyol is mostly associated with Costa Rica—particularly Guanacaste province—and Honduras, though similar versions are found in other Latin American countries.