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In Spanish and other countries of the Hispanic world, family and friends gatherings are a central part of their lives.
There’s a variety of food and drink at those parties, so it would be normal to use words and expressions for ordering drinks in Spanish.
So, if you visit Spain, Mexico or Cuba, for example, you have to be well-prepared with the expressions of ordering drinks.
Here, we've gathered words and phrases of how to order drinks in Spanish so that anywhere you go not only will you know everything about Spanish food traditions but also order whatever you want.
Let's get started
Drinks in Spanish
Before we learn to use phrases and sentences and how to communicate to order drinks in Spanish, first, we are going to memorize drinks in Spanish.
To better practice the words you’ve remembered and learn to pronounce them correctly, we suggest you book a lesson with Spanish tutors because native speakers are always the best help you can get.
Café Y Té (Coffee And Tea)
Good or not, many of us drink some variants of coffee. Some of us drink it rarely while others consume it too much.
In Spain, when you want to order coffee, you should be specific. You can't just say 'un café' (coffee) and expect to get the coffee you want.
So, here are the names of different coffees in Spanish.
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un café solo — an espresso
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un americano — a very long espresso (with more water)
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un café con leche — an espresso with a lot of milk
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un cortado — an espresso ‘cut’ with just a bit of milk
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un carajillo — an espresso with whiskey or rum, and a bit of sugar
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un descafeinado — a decaf
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un té — a tea
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una infusión — an ‘herbal tea’ or infusion
Jugos Y Cervezas (Juices And Beer)
Even though in Spanish-speaking countries the language they use is the same, it, on the other hand, differs in some tiny things.
When we talk about drinks, there's an interesting difference in ordering juices.
In Spain, they say 'un zumo de… ' and in Latin America the phrase 'un jugo de …' is usually used. Both expressions mean 'a juice of...'
And here are juices and beer in Spanish
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manzana — apple
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melocotón — peach
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naranja — orange
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piña — pineapple
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una horchata — a Valencian drink, callec 'orxata' in Valencian Spanish is made from tigernuts (chufas) and served throughout Spain in special horchaterías.
Just like coffee, when ordering a 'una cerveza' beer, you will have to be more specific about which one you would like.
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una caña — small draft beer;
In Spain, people mostly drink beer this way.
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una mediana — third of a liter bottle
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un botellín/un quinto — fifth of a liter bottle
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una clara — beer mixed with lemonade
Chupitos (Shots)
When you want to order some shots in Spanish, you only need to use the phrase ‘un chupito de’ and then add a drink you are ordering.
For example, if you want to order tequila, you simply say ‘un chupito de tequila.’
Here are some shots it is good to know.
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un chupito de… — a shot of…
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vodka — vodka
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whisky — whiskey
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ginebra — gin
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tequila — tequila
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sangria- red wine mixed with chopped fruits and juice
un cremat — a flaming Catalan-Cuban rum and coffee concoction
una ratafía — an herbal digestif
una absenta — an absinthe
Unlike in some countries worldwide, in Spain, this drink is legal and quite popular by the way.
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una botella- a bottle
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un vino tinto — red wine
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un vaso de vino tinto - a glass of the house red
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un vino blanco — white wine
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un tinto de verano — wine mixed with soda water
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un calimocho — bad wine mixed with Coca-Cola.
Young adults and teenagers usually drink this because it is very cheap but it usually isn't ordered in bars.
Phrases to Order Drinks in Spanish
Before we continue learning the whole phrase, make sure you've remembered the words. Flashcards as a learning tool or flashcard apps can be quite helpful in memorizing unfamiliar words, even phrases.
But now let's move forward to the phrases of ordering drinks in Spanish
Even if you are a complete beginner, you must have heard the basic sentence of how to order drinks in Spanish Yo quisiera un refresco, por favor.-I would like a soft drink, please.
In the real world, especially informally it is less likely that you will use it.
Phrases that people use to order drinks are short, as short as possible, so if you too want to sound like a native, remember the following ones.
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Tomo…- I take…
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Tomaré … - I’ll have …
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Dame… - Give me…
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Quiero… - I want…
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Ponme…- Put it on for me…
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Me vas a poner…- You will put for me…
And here's how that looks when you add some particular drink.
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Tomo un americano- I'll take a long espresso.
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Ponme un vino tinto- Put for me red wine.
Using shortenings to order drinks in Spanish saves your nerves from making mistakes and helps you even if you aren't so well-equipped with a proper vocabulary.
Therefore, you can also ask for a drink in the following ways:
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Dos copas de vino.- Two glasses of wine.
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Cuatro calimochos.- Four cola-wine mixes.
In case you aren’t sure how to start a casual conversation about drinks or asking awaiter about some particular drink, you can use these sentences:
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¿Qué me recomiendas para beber? - What would you recommend for a drink?
Interestingly, this combination words is used in Spain, while Latino Americans use the following one:
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¿Qué me recomienda (usted) para beber?- What would you recommend for a drink?
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Otra ronda – Another round.
Before you leave, asking for the bill is an essential part of the whole ordering process, so it couldn’t hurt to mention some phrases for paying the drinks and asking for the bill.
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Disculpe, la cuenta por favor. – Excuse me, the bill, please (formal)
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Nos puedes traer la cuenta, por favor. – Could you bring us the bill, please?
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La cuenta, por favor. – The bill, please.
Final Thoughts
After this post, you will be able to order drinks in Spanish no matter if you are in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Spain, or Venezuela.
And this is also a good way to continue learning other Spanish phrases to impress Spanish speakers, boost your vocabulary, and also practice your conversational skills.
And just like in Spanish there is a great saying that ‘El vino abre el camino’ (Wine opens the path) let this be a path that opens your further Spanish learning with Spanish tutors.
In the meantime, don’t forget to download the list of words and phrases for ordering drinks in Spanish for free so that you can take a peek at words and phrases whenever you want to.
