So surprised was my Costa Rican friend by the price of the beer when he arrived to Panama for the first time that he ended up inviting a pool hall of about seven men to 3 rounds of brewskies while waiting for me to arrive – at 11 in the morning.

Grocery stores sell beers for 39cents a can, local bars outside of the city often price theirs at 50 or 60cents, while the one dollar beer in Panama City is quickly becoming obsolete. The affect of this phenomenon on the male psyche is truly an amazing thing to witness. The initial elation is quickly enhanced by intoxication which can lead to wonderful sensations, or drunken mistakes. I challenge anyone with a more scientific background to study this. The findings could be life-altering.

My apartment mate who has been living here for about three months has acutely calculated his beer consumption to valuing about $242.10 a month. He admits to regularly “pre-gaming” with eight beers before even starting his nights out at the bars. It should, however, be taken into account the fact that the beers here mostly contain a meager 3.8% alcohol.

The top four beers of Panama are Balboa, Soberana, Atlas, and Panama (how appropriate). They are all similar in taste, value and alcohol content, although die-hard beer drinkers often swear by only one of the brands.

After analysis of the effects of this high rate of consumption the major negative ones are the obvious: extreme intoxication and the occasional bed-wetting. But is this shortsightedness, a lifestyle choice or is it the low price that leads these men to over consume? Either way, I like it.

A night in New York City could easily lead to a bar tab valued at the same price of my alcoholic apartment mate’s monthly beer bill. Dates are cheaper, nights out are more carefree when the weight of the wallet isn’t a huge consideration, and people buying rounds of beer for everyone becomes inevitable. Just remember to save up those quarters, and drink responsibly.

Claire Saylor has been living in Central America since last June, and is now focusing her time writing about Panama culture as well as general Panama information. http://www.panamatravels.com/