Until recently, drug trafficking and money laundering were the predominant issues keeping customs and police agents busy on the two land borders of Costa Rica. Those two illicit activities have been quickly supplanted with smuggling of goods that supply a thriving black market in our country. From fruit juice to cigarettes and from electronics to groceries, high inflation and unemployment are fueling demand for smuggled goods, and two items being confiscated time and again are known as two of Milwaukee’s finest products.

Author’s Note: The use of the noun and adjective “American” in this article conforms to the definition in Princeton’s WordNet: (A native or inhabitant of the United States), and the recommendation by the Associated Press Stylebook: (An acceptable description for a citizen of the United States). Natives and inhabitants of North, Central and South America are also Americans.

Milwaukee’s Best and Old Milwaukee are respectively brewed by the Miller and Pabst Brewing Companies. These two American beers are strangely favored by smugglers operating in the borders with Nicaragua and Panama. Since early 2013 police and customs officials in Costa Rica have confiscated thousands of cans of both Milwaukee’s Best and Old Milwaukee beer, which are respectively and affectionately known to Americans as “the Beast” and “Old Swill.” An early confiscation of more than 12,000 cans was carried out by officers from the Special Intervention Police Unit (Spanish initials: UIP) in February of 2013. According to a report by Fuerza Publica, Costa Rica’s national police force, the UIP officers were called in to intercept a truck carrying the Beasts in Limon after the driver barreled through roadblocks.

The Economic Bottom Line

The Costa Rica Star has reported on smuggling of these two American brands on more than one occasion; to wit, earlier this year we explained the economic motivations behind these two choices among smugglers:

Until recently, police investigators figured out that most smuggled booze from Panama, where it is dirt-cheap, was destined to stock the shelves of liquor stores in Costa Rica or the storerooms of bars, restaurants, dance clubs, strip joints, etc.

The confiscated cases of Milwaukee’s Best were probably not destined to be sold to a bar or restaurant owner in Escazu, San Pedro or Santa Ana. Patrons at those establishments would not be caught dead drinking one of Milwaukee’s finest products. The seized Beasts were probably destined for a pulperia or a modest drinking establishment frequented by broke expats.

The inflationary times we live in have expanded the beer spectrum in Costa Rica. Even at dusty roadside pulperias in Guanacaste, beer shoppers can now find cheap U.S. and Dutch imports such as Bud Light and Hollandia. Six-packs and cases of Milwaukee’s Best can be found at Wal-Mart, PriceSmart, etc. Only when purchased at the packaged retail level, beer in Costa Rica can approximate the mythical $1 threshold.

Just like in the United States, it is becoming very difficult to find $1 beer in Costa Rica, at least on a regular basis. The closest you can get to this experience is Bohemia, a Mexican beer that is brewed locally by brewing giant Florida Ice and Farm Company, which is more notably known for the iconic Imperial brand. However, if you are a retailer purchasing smuggled brews, you are more likely to make higher profits stocking your store cooler with Old Swill and the Beasts, which you can certainly offer at $1.

As for beer drinkers in Costa Rica, the price of smuggled Milwaukee’s Best and Old Milwaukee may be enticing; alas, they will get what they pay for. According to online brew rating guide Beer Advocate, these two American cheap beers get ratings under 60, which represent a grade of “Awful.” Should you not be familiar with these two brands and happen to encounter them in Costa Rica, the following two reviews might be helpful:

Old Swill:

16 ounce limited edition can, which advertised a country music festival, enjoyed in lovely Buffalo, MN…the ring around the can’s top reads, ” it doesn’t get any better than this”…and I must beg to differ […]

The taste is – nothing much. Only the lightest hint of malt and maybe a dab of cluster hops. This really doesn’t taste like much more than carbonated water. Doesn’t taste “bad” mainly because it doesn’t taste.

The Beast:

I didn’t actually mean to buy this beer. I thought that it was Old Milwaukee…which IMO is actually a pretty good beer for the rock-bottom price, and picked up a 12-pack. There are several cheapo beers that are decent […] This, however is nasty, so if you have to go the cheapo route, avoid this nasty sour rot-gut metallic beast at all costs.