I know what you’re thinking, you’re imagining that we got all pissed up in Xela, bought a bunch of cheap drinks, mixed them all together and came up with a bunch of campy names that we just couldn’t wait to tell you all about. Now listen close… for once, your wrong. Or, maybe just mistaken.

Contrarily, the drinks I’m about to tell you about contained no alcohol and not a drop of our own creative juices went into their design. These are just everyday drinks of Xela, Guatemala that we purchased off the street like hundreds of other people each day.

Orange Juice ‘n Egger:

In one word, delicious. Unless Ashley is saying it, in which case the word becomes vomit. Of course the Spanish have their own way of saying it “jugo de naranja con huevo”. The drink is made exactly the way you’re imagining, oranges are freshly squeezed by hand into a glass and complimented with a whole, raw, room temperature egg or two, your choice. No stirring required for this simple delicacy. In truth, it tasted like extra rich orange juice, until you got to the yolk which broke on my tongue delivering a strange yet complementary flavour. Mmm.

In life, the simple things are often the best

Corn Batter Delight:

It’s real name is Atol de Elote which, in English, means a corn drink made from cornflour. To me, it tasted somewhere between corn bread and muffin batter. It was warm, thick, sweet, battery, and had a nice bit of texture from the corn that was crumbled atop of every mug. It was delicious, warming, and filling all at once.

Like Guinness, it’s a drink that eats like a meal

Ponche de Leche:

I figured milk punch was a clever enough name that I didn’t need to cheese it up. I have no idea what’s actually in it, but if I had to guess I’d say milk was heated to a scald with cardamom and a bit of rice flour. They serve it warm with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Out of all the drinks we tried in Xela, I think this was our favourite. It tasted a bit like a chai tea latte… warm, soothing, and perfect for a cool rainy night.

Does she look excited? This was her second one so she knew what she was getting

Pineapple Soup:

Not really a soup, but it is served with a small plastic spoon. I’m fairly sure it’s just water, pineapple, papaya, and apple heated and served. They call it “caliente de frutas” meaning hot fruits. Tastes like warm apple cider. It’s warm, but not boiled too long, as the fruit still have all their texture. I really enjoyed this drink, and give it a close second to the Ponche de Leche. Likewise, perfect for a cool rainy night after your shorts have been soaked through and your shoes flooded.

Hard to tell from the photo, but I’m really cold

Caliente de frutas