Whether it be fried empanadas from a street vendor one day or Foie Gras en Terrine from a three Michelin Star restaurant the next, the food we eat when we travel often defines a culture in our memories. To us, the people of Costa Rica will always love rice and beans, almost as much as the people of Maine love lobster rolls.

They go hand-in-hand, like hotels and room service.

Bed sheets and black lights.

Long flights and plane farters.

Sorry.

But the drinks?

The drinks have a habit of becoming memory erasers -- inhibition blotting courage juice that, while it might help us make new friends, might not help us remember their names the next day.

It’s time, I think, to change the status quo. To learn to appreciate the art of a delicious, well-crafted cocktail. To taste the unique liquid flavors of a region. To learn a bartender’s story.

Because while food is most often a barometer for travel immersion, indulgence, and bravery, let's face it -- We’d never get anywhere if we couldn’t wash it down.