Imperial is the ubiquitous Costa Rican beer, its logo adorning signs at roadside bars and restaurants and for sale in every grocery store and gas station. There is no way to miss it.
Upon first seeing its logo – the German imperial eagle or Reichsadler, now referred to as the Federal Eagle – my first thought was Huh? Costa Rica was never a German colony or, as far as I know, a primary destination for German emigrants, so why the name? The long-established German Bakery near Arenal shows that Germans are present in the country, but a large enough population to provide what appears to be the de facto national beer? My Costa Rican co-workers were unaware of the German connection. WTF?!?
Wikipedia states that the beer was first produced by Carl Walter Steinvorth (definitely a German-sounding name), an important businessman & first orthodontist in Central America in 1924 with the intention of combining German traditions with Costa Rican tastes. OK, but still, why the name? Was Mr. Steinvorth a monarchist, upset with the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the dissolution of the German Empire? Was he striving to attract more Germans to immigrate, those escaping the chaos of post-World War I Germany? Perhaps the present manufacturer has the history, but I found nothing online.
Regardless, the beer won a Gold Medal at Monde Selection in 2007, so it must be good. However, I’m much more an amateur historian than beer drinker, so my questions remain unanswered.
