It's Peru, Baby.

There always comes a moment when drinking in Peru that never fails to disturb and alarm me. That's when people drinking lager (the biggies here are Pilsen and Cristal - both passable) reach for the pop. Believe it or not - Peruvians frequently drink beer mixed with Coca-Cola, or more often, Inca Kola. I suppose it's like a shandy, but much, much worse. When beer mixed with Coke I have found that the mixture separates and forms a brown frothy sediment. This is highly offensive, and so the combination must be quickly imbibed. As I have mentioned before, when Peruvians drink beer they usually pass the cup around, flinging the suds onto the ground, or when in marginally more polite company, they empty them into a glass placed in the middle of the table for that purpose. (Note to self: don't get drunk and pick that glass up by mistake!). In spite of the flinging/draining process, brownish foam more often than not clings to the sides of the glass. Yikes! This is when I plead Precious Gringa Status and ask for my own glass. The situation is marginally better with Inca Kola because it, thankfully, does not separate out. I must however explain at this point that Inca Kola is a caffine-rich, very sugary beverage that has a bright yellow colour which serves to make Peruvians remember all the gold that Pizarro's men nicked off them. It also tastes like bubble gum. I love it, I confess, but I believe that to mix it with beer is just plain wrong. It is clearly alcohol abuse. But try telling that to a Peruvian!