More Bottle, Less Beer

Belize has a lot of coastline, and a lot of beaches–and we learned on our visit that it also has a lot of beer. But Belize is decidedly not the land of craft IPAs, as almost all of the beer here is much lighter (except perhaps one newcomer, Hobbs). For the most part, tap handles in local bars tell a singular story–about Belikin, the national beer (think Budweiser, but with an accent).

Handles that we got used to seeing in our travels here

The lineup here in Belize. Note that Belikin also brews a version of Guinness, but it’s more of a heavier version of their flagship brew and not much like Guinness in Ireland.

Souzz wasted no time, enjoys a beer at Belize International while we wait for our commuter flight to Placencia

The main bar in Placencia, watching the hometown Nationals in the World Series (in Spanish)

Belikin offers several different brews, and all are light and relatively low-alcohol—perfect for enjoying on the beach and/or in the heat.

Lots of great places to enjoy beer here! We got a complimentary Belikin when we checked into our room in Caye Caulker.

Souzz heads out onto the dock to enjoy her first beer on Caye Caulker

From the dock at Weezie’s in Caye Caulker

Belikin is a Mayan word that means “Land Facing the Sea,” and some say that it’s the origin of the name Belize–although we also heard that Belize means “muddy waters” in the Maya language. That story seems more plausible than a country named after a beer (although Souzz’s favorite beer, Oberon, would be a great name for a country, just sayin’).

Beer and chacos, a winning combo

Go Deh Strong is the slogan for the stout

Both of these are brewed in Belize City

Beer in Belize is served with a napkin artfully wrapped around the neck of the bottle–like a drinkable version of Woody from Toy Story. The napkin seems like a nice little piece of flair, but it’s there so that you have something to wipe the rust from the cap away from the mouth of the bottle.

Beers with neckwear

Woody (Fair use media, Wikipedia)

Beers with neckware

The majority of glass bottles in Belize are washed and re-used, so drinking beer here means you are basically sharing a bottle–and hopefully it wasn’t with that guy at the next table last night that was eating ceviche like it was a bowl of soup…which made me want to have three more Belikins.

In stores, beer is sold as singles and each beer generally runs about two dollars (US), although bars sell “six packs” in buckets on ice (for about $15 dollars US, hard to pass up). And when a server brings you a bucket of beer, it feels like there’s some purpose to the activity of beer drinking. With that in mind, we’ve accomplished a lot on our trip.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that Belikin is served in bottles that are smaller than those in the US, a little more than nine ounces. We didn’t notice at first because the weight of the glass gives you the sense that you’re holding a “regular” bottle of beer…but the end of the beer comes more quickly (and isn’t that always the way?).

The main bar in Placencia, watching the hometown Nationals in the World Series (in Spanish)

This friendly local watched us during every sip

As for the bottle size, there’s apparently a running joke here: “Belikin – more bottle, less beer.” That seems about right…or, as they say in Belize, “Yaaa, man!”